Former Gov. Jon Corzine’s accident on the Garden State Parkway three years ago continues to haunt Robert Rasinski, the State Police driver during the crash. Today the pension board said Rasinski was negligent during the crash that nearly killed the governor and denied his bid for a lucrative accidental disability pension. "The pension board said he beared significant responsibility...
State Trooper Robert Rasinski arrives at a hearing on his disability pension at a Trenton office building. Rasinski, who has left the State Police, was driving during the accident that injured Gov. Jon Corzine.Former Gov. Jon Corzine’s accident on the Garden State Parkway three years ago continues to haunt Robert Rasinski, the State Police driver during the crash.
Today the pension board said Rasinski was negligent during the crash that nearly killed the governor and denied his bid for a lucrative accidental disability pension.
"The pension board said he beared significant responsibility for the accident," Treasury spokesman Andy Pratt said.
It’s the second time Rasinski has faced blame for the accident. He previously served a three-day suspension after an internal investigation said he was "culpably inefficient" and "lacked the appropriate level of situation awareness" before the crash, which was described as preventable.
Rasinski, who said he suffers back pain and post-traumatic stress from the accident, will instead receive a less generous ordinary disability pension. Although that still includes health benefits, it equals only 40 percent of his salary, rather than two-thirds.
The board further reduced Rasinski’s pension because of disciplinary charges involving allegations he sent harassing messages to another cop, the ex-husband of a woman he was dating, in September 2007. Those charges had previously stalled his retirement application, although a settlement will allow him to retire on Aug. 1.
The board subtracted Rasinski’s nearly three years of service since he allegedly sent the messages. That means his much lower 2007 salary will be used to calculate his pension.
The board’s decisions mean Rasinski will get a pension of no more than $3,000 a month, roughly $2,000 less than he hoped for, Pratt estimated.
Maj. Karl Kleeberg, chairman of the State Police Retirement System board of trustees, declined comment.
Rasinski, 38, would not discuss specifics after today’s closed hearing. He can still appeal the board’s decision.
Rasinski’s nearly 12-year career with the State Police has been defined by mere moments during his stint in the elite Executive Protection Unit, which chauffers and protects the governor.
On April 12, 2007, Rasinski was driving Corzine north on the Parkway at 91 mph to deliver him to a meeting at the governor’s mansion in Princeton Township. His sport utility vehicle struck another vehicle, then veered off the road and into a guardrail.
Corzine spent 18 days in the hospital after suffering 15 broken bones. Although the internal investigation assigned some blame to Rasinski, the governor credited him for helping save his life by steering the vehicle so it struck the guardrail on the driver side.
The accident later led to public revelations about Rasinski’s personal life when investigators questioned whether messages from the other cop, Berkley Heights Sgt. Michael Mathis, distracted him before the crash. The State Police said they found no evidence of that.
But the feud between Rasinski and Mathis continued after the accident, according to disciplinary charges.
Rasinski was accused of using the e-mail account and cell phone of Mathis’ ex-wife to send crude and harassing messages to Mathis on at least two occasions in September 2007.
The allegations led officials to file three disciplinary charges against Rasinski in 2008. Those charges were not resolved until recently, although State Police officials declined to comment on specific terms. Rasinski has been on administrative leave from the division since May 2009, according to the State Police. He made $100,688 last year.