NJ Attorney General Joins Internal Investigation Of "Death Race 2012"
By Robin Rieger
TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) -- What appears to be a high speed New Jersey State Police escort of a caravan of luxury vehicles on the Garden State Parkway in 2010 in a YouTube video came to light after witnesses complained about a similar incident in March of 2012 and an internal investigation was launched.
"I dont have any specific information on how fast they were traveling .... its part of our investigation," NJ Attorney General Jeffreys said Tuesday.
He briefed lawmakers during a senate budget committee hearing in Trenton. Two troopers are suspended without pay, one is a 25-year veteran.
"Who twelve years ago saved an occuppant from a burning vehicle and signature event of his career is going to be this," said NJ State Police Superintendent Rick Fuentes.
There are times where state police escorts are requested and approved. Colonel Fuentes says hundreds are done all year long.
"A lot with secret service helping the NYPD out. We might do an escort if the size of the group might impede the other traffic. Permission is given at local command," Fuentes said.
A troop commander has also been transferred.
"This was an aberration that the attorney general and myself have addressed," said Fuentes.
"They're acting swiftly to get to the bottom of this and putting protocols in place to ensure it doesn't happen again. And they're also checking to ensure there's no pattern", said state senator Paul sarlo, a democrat from Bergen county.
An attorney for one of the troopers says the recent escort was set up with former New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs.
