TRENTON — A state Assembly panel today cleared a bill that would upgrade the penalty for assault by auto. The bill (A676) is called "Jessica Rogers’ Law" after a Hamilton teenager who was paralyzed from the chest down in a 2005 accident. Rogers, then 16, was a passenger in a car in which the driver, angry at being cut...
Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein (D-Middlesex) is a sponsor of a bill that would increase the penalty for assault by automobile.TRENTON — A state Assembly panel today cleared a bill that would upgrade the penalty for assault by auto.
The bill (A676) is called "Jessica Rogers’ Law" after a Hamilton teenager who was paralyzed from the chest down in a 2005 accident. Rogers, then 16, was a passenger in a car in which the driver, angry at being cut off, tried to illegally pass another car and wound up crashing into a telephone pole.
Another passenger also suffered serious injuries. The driver was convicted of two counts of assault by auto and sentenced to six months in jail and five years of probation.
Under the bill, assault by auto that causes a life-threatening injury would be upgraded from a fourth- to a third-degree offense, which increases the maximum penalty from 18 months in prison to five years in prison. If the crime results in a less serious injury, the bill upgrades it from a disorderly persons offense to a fourth-degree crime.
"Drivers who put their own selfish needs before the safety of the public must be held accountable," said Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein (D-Middlesex), a sponsor."Road rage is more than a cultural phenomenon. It is a real threat to others. It’s my hope that this bill will target and prevent road rage in New Jersey."
The bill cleared the committee 6-0. It has not yet been heard in a state Senate committee.
Previous coverage:
• Can-do spirit - Injured Hamilton woman raises funds for Shriners Hospital
• Bill includes harsher penalty for road rage