Trooper Charged with Homicide for
Accident
Police and Law Enforcement News
Wednesday, February 28, 2007 11:20 a.m.
The New Jersey law enforcement
community was shocked Tuesday after learning that at a state trooper
has been indicted on two counts of vehicular homicide.
The indictment stems from an accident
last September when Trooper
Robert Higbee
was involved in a fatal motor vehicle accident while trying to catch
up to a speeder.
According to
investigators, Trooper Higbee ran a stop sign and collided with a
minivan. The occupants of the minivan, Jacqueline
Becker, 17, and Christina Becker, 19, both died as a result of the
accident.
Cape May County Prosecutor Robert
Taylor said that information from the patrol car's "black box" was
critical to the investigation. This device, also known as an
event data recorder (EDR), can record a vehicle's speed, engine
output, position of the gas pedal, whether the brakes are applied,
and whether the seat belt was being used at the time of impact.
The State Police Fraternal Association
has already released a statement on the indictments expressing
heartfelt sympathy for family and friends of the two sisters but
questioning the direction of the investigation.
Below is a portion of their press
release:
Today’s decision by
the Cape May County prosecutor to indict Trooper Rob Higbee, knowing
full well that he was performing his sworn duties and operating
under his mandate to apprehend violators and in full compliance with
the Attorney General guidelines for attempting to stop a violator,
appears to fly in the face of the criminal statute, past practice,
precedent and current case law. Trooper Higbee’s operation of his
troop car, which resulted in this tragedy, is woefully devastating
but not criminal. It sends a message to everyone in law enforcement
that, despite the rules that are in place, if you make an honest but
tragic mistake, you will be fighting for your freedom just for
trying to do your job.
Trooper Higbee's
attorney also spoke with reporters. From the Newark Star
Ledger:
Reached later by
telephone, Subin said Higbee had clocked a car doing 65 mph in a
35-mph zone and was trying to "close the distance" with that car,
but did not use lights or sirens because state guidelines called for
him to wait until he was close enough to identify and safely pull
over the violator.
Trooper Higbee faces
up to twenty years in state prison if convicted.
Police and Law Enforcement News
Wednesday, February 28, 2007 11:20 a.m.
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