Jury selection continues as state trooper faces trial

The trroper was NOT chasing anyone. Witnesses to the accident have said there was no car he was chasing. He ran the stop and killed these girls.

NEWS FLASH!!!!!

The trial State of New Jersey v Robert Higbee can be cancelled.

Drake Oro has rendered any and all testimony null and void.

the police everywhere think that have rites different from the rest of us my wife was just run of the road the other night by a tropper who was driving down the road with no lights on called the state troppers office to report it they told us we were wrong that none of there troppers do any such thing tell that to my wife

well if that is true then by all means lock his butt up. to be honest i have see cops do that a lot. flick on their lights to blow threw an intersection. that pisses me off because its an abuse of authority. of course it would be nice if i could pass by a cop and NOT see him gabbing on his cell phone.

I see this alot. Put a man or woman in a patrol car and they can do whatever. Just yesterday a state trooper went past me at a high rate of speed. No blue lights or sirens. I think there should be a number on the back of the car so citizens can get their tag numbers and report them. If they are not on a call then they should also have to pay a speeding ticket and it go on their driving record.

Funny how we are quick to prosecute the police and bad mouth them at all costs.

But when you need help, who do you call?

Hyprocites.

My heart goes out to both families

There are some abuse the police has been caught in but not all of them are bad or trying to get away with something. They are putting their lives on the line every day. There is a reason why it is called an accident. .

It is ashame we pay entertainers more money to make us laugh instead of paying people who protect and serve us (police, fire, military..etc).

Give someone a uniform, have them hang around talking macho crap and this is what you get. Treat this guy the same as we would be treated. I see reckless driving all the time by the men in blue.

While I agree with your comments, the story clearly states he was in pursuit of a speeder at 10:00 at night. I am sorry the two people are dead, but wasn't the trooper doing his job – resulting in a terrible accident? If this is the case, I am afraid I don't understand why he is being charged.

In Pennsylvania, our State Troopers have numbers on the cars. If you see anything illegal or suspicious going on w/a patrol car the number is clearly marked and you can use that to report anything. But the unmarked cars do not- duh- but if you remember the time, day, color and anything else descriptive of the car the dispatchers know where they are 24/7. It is a tragic day when a police officer kills someone or causes injury to a citizen while on duty or off duty.

I have seen many things like this as well...however, I do not think it is accurate to hold all cops/highway patrolmen accountable for one man's action. Just remember before pointing fingers that just as there are some officers that abuse their "privelages" what have you, there are several more that take their oath and mean it, fulfilling their duties to the highest and most honorable degree.
Hold this man responsible for his decision he made, but do not condemn the rest for his fatal mistake.

Police Officers have a dangerous job that most of us don't want to do. They risk their lives every day in service to members of the public they've never met before. There may be a few bad apples out there, but most officers are good hardworking people. Lets wait to gets all the facts in this case before making judgement.

I think that there should be a law passed that would make the law enforcement agents to have a number on their car and a sign that says HOWS MY DRIVING! These troopers take advantge of their power while other people get letters saying there license are suspended and their insurance goes ski high.

Even if chasing a speeder, this trooper should have not blown through a stop sign. Never do two wrongs make a right. If he was chasing someone (which is doubtful because the girls felt safe enough to enter the intersection), then he himself should not break any laws in pursuit. Shame on this man for even letting it get to trial. He should have admitted that he did something wrong (because he did, evidenced by the two deaths) and take a plea deal.

If there is evidence that the trooper was not on a call and ran the light. Then he should be found guilty. If there is a question about abuse of authority, then ask what you do everyday that you know you shoudn't. Yes, there are a number of peace officers that are farely blatent. I can think of a number of supervisors, businessmen, secretaries, nurses, doctors etc. that do the same thing. Is he guilty of wrongful death or not? That is the only important question.

In response to some of the people saying police abuse their power while in cars, I know in a lot of places when police are responding they do not always use their lights and sirens until they get to an intersection. I'm not saying whether or not that is what happened here, but it is a thought.

Actually, lights are not required to be turned on during a pursuit while the officer is narrowing the gap between his/herself and a speeder. Although this is a tragedy beyond measure, I don't believe that this constitutes a criminal act. Was he responsible, certainly, is the accident his fault, yes, should procedures be changed to hopefully avoid this in the future, most definitely, should he spend up to 20 years behind bars for this, HELL NO!!! Leave the jail cells for the real criminals. The only court that should see this case is a civil court, and settlement has already been made there.

Interesting....two young women are dead, their family must be suffering, the grandmother who sent them out, their parents, brothers, sisters, friends, co-workers, classmates should all forget about their pain and the loss of two young people because the cop was possibly chasing a speeder. This man killed these young women for no reason. That horrible, avoidable accident should be ignored because the person who killed them, ran them down in the street, was a cop. Why on earth would anyone feel that this is justifiable?

it is WIDELY known that LEO's (law enforcement officers) are held to different standards. for instance, in NJ, it is ILLEGAL to use a cell fone while driving. however, MANY, MANY cops constantly do this – completely oblivious to the law that they are charged with upholding. it is a double standard and people, quite frankly, are sick and tired of it. this "the law applies to you but not me" mentality has got to stop. I KNOW this case quite well; i have a summer home not far from where this happened and there was quite a bit of controversy over this alleged speeder he was chasing. in fact, THAT aspect of their story did not come out until a few months AFTER the accident. typical prosecutors covering up for cops except there was so much public outcry, they were forced to file charges.

Yes it is a tragic event that has occurred. However, whether the officer was chasing someone or not the outcome will not be a good one. A family is missing relatives and the Officer's family, including other police officers, will have to live with it the rest of our lives. It doesnt matter how it happened, it happened all the same. As an officer I know the dangers of pursuits. They don't always turn out good. Unfort. law enforcement everywhere will face the fire for the actions of this officer regardless of the outcome. Instead of placing the blame on anyone party, everyone should stand together for all the families involved and support them. Lord knows that they all will need it. And as for the double standard, it does exsist. I have seen it many times thru-out my carreer. Are we perfect? No, but please don't judge us all for someone else's mistake. Alot of officers still believe in the original values of law enforcement, To Protect and Serve.

Fact is, no one knows the circumstances. No one commenting knows anything about whether or not he was chasing someone. The only person that knows is the police officer. What if he was just doing his job? Now he's facing 20 years in jail? That would be wonderful huh?.......got to love bored America

Loss of life in a case like this is devastating and now that Trooper will have to live with his mistake for the rest of his life and so will the victims families. However, anyone who thinks he intended to take a life is mistaken. We, as Officers, risk our lives every day for those we are here to protect and sometimes, because we are human, accidents happen and the consequences can be horrific. No court can punish that Trooper more than he will punish himself. Its easy to judge our law enforcement officers after the fact but is it fair. My prayers and the prayers of Officers accross the country go out to the family who lost too much and the the Trooper whose life will never be the same.

They all have too much power. I got pulled over by a trooper and he gave me like 10 tickets, all of which were total lies. Unclear license plate (from a stock vehicle?), the list goes on...They are way out of conrtol.

everyone always blames the police until they need something. maybe the girls should have seen the officer coming, they do have lights and sirens on... my heart goes out to the families of the accident, but there are so many rights to protect the criminals of today, that no matter if the officer was doing his job, he is still wrong. hope yal think about that next time you need an officer. i put up with ppl like yal everyday!!

This was an accident

I dont think this trooper should be in jail. He was doing his job. But of course you have people who do a lot worse get their hand slap time and time again yet " the people" dont demand justice.

Entertainers gets away with abuse, DUI just to name a few things but let a police officer make a mistake he is thrown under the jail.

Your guilty until proven innocent! That sucks!

Call me crazy but don’t we have a justice system that is based on the presumption of innocence? Unless you were there and witnessed the accident you have NO basis to try and convict this guy with your silly little comments. And just because you didn’t hear about the speeder right away does not mean it didn’t happen. As for cops using cell phones, sometimes they do so out of necessity. I know quite a few that use their cells for work purposes. And all you people claiming to witness cops doing “misdeeds” are most likely exaggerating or simply lying. Get over yourselves.

It is interesting to see that everyone is quick to jump on the cop and blame him. Is it not possible that the driver of the other car may have been at fault also. I see far to many young ( and old ) people that have no respect for the police , they think that the rules do not apply to them and they can act as badly as they want to. I don't know what has happened to respect for the law , or other people for that matter. You see it on the news all the time people yelling in the cops face , spitting on them ,cursing them daring them to arrest them. I was involved at work in a near riot situation and I was amazed at how well the cops kept their cool , I don't know how they did it.
All Iam saying is that there are two sides to this tragedy and people should examine both sides before making their judgment. As my Sociology proff. used to say – " Think , you have a brain, use it .

Chasing a speeder doesn't give the cop the right to blow through an intersection blindly.

I think Janie summed it up perfectly. I feel really bad for the family; losing two young girls must be devastating.

every one is quick to blame the cop you know not all of us are bad people but unfortunetly i would half to agree with some. I believe that the police officer was in the wrong because even though you are pursuing a suspect wether a speeder or robber any time you enter an intersection you are to go code 3 which is lights and sirens and you are too slow down at an intersection making sure people see you so you can make a safe pass through the intersection the troopers acts should at least be grounds for job termination

Isn't everyone assuming that the 2 young women were crossing legally and with due caution? At 10 PM there is no reason why the women could not see the flashing lights or hear the siren. Were the women wearing dark clothing? Pedestrians have to take SOME responsibility for making it easier to be seen and to be extra careful at night.

Steve, Troopers Daughter and Kelly… Thanks for not jumping to conclusions and standing up for the police… Funny how some people are ready to condemn someone JUST BECAUSE HE/SHE IS a cop… isn’t that just as bad as assuming he’s NOT guilty just because he’s a cop?? It’s nice to know not everyone feels that way.
Jeff… I agree 100%... There may be a few bad apples out there, but most officers are good hardworking people. Let’s wait to gets all the facts in this case before making judgment….WELL SAID.
As for what you said about “They risk their lives every day in service to members of the public they’ve never met before” It’s amazing how many people take that for granted and have nothing but negative things to say about cops… Then something bad happens… guess who they call… some days you just can’t win, but it’s people like you that make it worth while…thanks

Before we bash the cop, lets first see was he on legitimate buisness.....Its very tragic about the innocent teenagers and yes somebody should be held liable. If not the cop then the butthead that ran from the cops. To all the cop bashers out there, you are all hypocrites......Every single one of you have or will call a cop for help if you are in a jam......If you want to do away with cops, try it and there will be wholesale kaos and you will be begging for them to come back. There are lots of bad cops like in anything else, but the good ones are needed so dont paint them all with the same brush. To all the people that are criminals out there making your kill the cops comments....Its a free country, too bad you are usually locked up and dont see much of it.

Actually, sheepie in NJ a police officer is permitted to use their cell phone for business purposes. I say everybody who sits there and says the cops are wrong go out and do what they do everyday. Stop saying ALL cops are like that. They aren't. Thats like saying ALL doctors do drugs. While some doctors do abuse narcotics, not ALL doctors do. Stop stereotyping. This is a tragedy, I agree, but if those girls had hit the cops car and HE had died, would you be screaming for vengeance? NO.

I doubt he was chasing any speeder, if he was that person would have been caught, the cops would have unleashed hell to catch that guy, the fact is that when a cop want to blow an intersection he can, if something bad happens he can just say he was chasing somebody.

and as for the comment "steve" (obviously a cop) made, sorry steve, but I dont call the police when I need help and I never will. why? because how could they help me? when seconds count, the police are minutes away (or sometimes hours). Im from philly, a place with one of the worst, most corrupt police forces in the nation. Try calling 911 there, and see how long it takes them to arrive, the average is 45 minutes. just in time to mop up and write reports. no, I rely on family and friends for help. and my personal arsenal for protection. when was the last time a cop actually twarted a violent crime anyways? few and far between.

LEO's are EXEMPT from most laws. They get extensive training on how to do their job SAFELY. The whole point to being an officer is safety for the public and themselves.

LEO's are required to pass high speed driving courses. Most agencies espcially state agencies have required drivers training yearly. Most people on the road haven't even been through a drivers education course. So why should LEO's be required to drive the same as all of us regular people? Sometimes they respond to calls with out their lights because people freak out and don't know what to do when those blue and red lights come up behind them. Which can cause a very dangerous situation. Kelly is also correct, Ford Crown Vics. are slow cars. It takes a while to catch up to speeders, they need to "sneek" up on them. That keeps the speeder from thinking they can run.

He shouldn't have ran that stop. period. no excuse. But I'd like to hear the entire story with some more details.

Oh! this whole numbers on the back of the patrol car issue that keeps being brought up. READ THE LICENSE PLATE! If there's an issue with thier driving call it into 911. Make sure you have the date and exact time becauase some agencies have their officers share patrol cars.

It sucks that there are bad cops out there. But you'll stop calling ALL cops bad when you are in need of help. Maybe you just need helping changing a tire... or maybe your life is in danger. Ither way you can depend on the vast majority of officers responding as fast as they can to save a life...

Let's see....Law enforcement officer charged with something,an excuse saying he was in pursuit of someone,surely,the victim's are going to somehow be blamed for their deaths,my guess is....not guilty,or a hung jury...no conviction...

I'm amazed as to how ignorant so many posters are in regards to the rules/laws pertaining to law enforcement pursuits.

Each state/county/munincipality has its own rules regarding such.

B4 condemning or praising, research the facts.

If he was chasing a speeder, then why didn't the speeder hit the girls? so just maybe he wasn't chasing anyone, because you would think the girls would of been aware of the speeder and should of seen the cops "if" his lights & sirens were on... My prayers and heart goes out to the family of the girls...

Okay honestly people if you were having a emergency. You wouldn't care what the police officers did to get to you as fast as they could. I know when someone was breaking into my house with just me and my little boys home by ourselves. I didn't care how they got to my house as long as they got here! People fuss if cops aren't there to catch speeders and fuss when they are doing their job. No one is ever satisfied. Just realize this most of these brave men and woman will go beyond their duty to help and risk their lives everyday for all of us. Support our officers!

law is law, cop or cop you follow the laws!

It's cases like this that bring out the cynics and the Monday Morning QBs. Any of us can sit back and take a look at a 5 sec or less span of time and say what we would have done differently, and a person who has committed an agregious act like this should be held accountable for their actions. If the trooper was negligent and "abusing" his power by speeding through the streets of NJ then I would be the first one to say that he should demonstrate the integrity of the oath he swore to and confess, then let the justice system handle it.

What pisses me off is the people that slam all troopers / police officers because one guy committed a crime or had a bad judgement call. it's as idiotic as saying I hate all garbage collectors because my trash didn't get picked up one morning or that all weathermen are overpaid adults with the education level of a pre-schooler because they got the weather wrong one day.

I took my oath to protect people and make a difference. If you feel you that you don't need police protection and that we are nothing but a burden, then I wish that there was a form you could fill out so we would know just to ignore any future requests you have for a prowler, a burglar, a domestic dispute, an assault, or any other of a number of calls that can and usually do happen at some point in a person's life.

Protect and Serve. For all of the people out there who do appreciate what troopers and officers do, we do appreciate it. Our job is a thankless one, but we know that. We don't expect thanks, we do this job because we are passionate about it. What we do expect, keeping in the theme of a level playing field that is in some of the previous posts....is that you are presumed innocent until proven guilty. We don't know the facts, no of us were there. This trooper will have his day in court and then let the chips fall where they may.

interesting... in my patrol car I utilize a two-way radio similar to a Nextel direct connect issued to me by my department for work related purposes only. While it may appear to passersby that I'm (how was it put?) "gabbing away at my cellphone," I'm actually talking with other officers on my shift or my supervisors about calls, generally conducting business that does not need to be broadcast of the main radio channel. Do I speed in my patrol car?? As a general rule, no- I find it difficult to enforce a law I don't follow myself. Having said that, there are times when a call I am responding to may be of such a nature that doesn't justify the use of my emergency lights and sirens to get there, but I need to get there quickly nonetheless. And yes, I will turn my lights on to clear an intersection. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly people are to rush to judgement about the actions of their law enforcement officials, and yet when I respond to YOUR house, I get chastized for taking too long to get there. I have a very hard time believing that this trooper made up a story about chasing a speeder to cover for an infraction. This was a terrible accident. Imagine how that trooper feels, knowing that he killed two people and was there to do probably little more than watch them die. Yes, his actions caused the accident, regretably. But why be so quick to toss the gauntlet because he was wearing a uniform at the time?? Law enforcement officers are human, just like you; we are not perfect and we can make mistakes. What about the guy who simply blows the light?? There would be far less public outcry for him. If the trooper violated a department policy, yes, there is something to be answered for, but don't twist this unfortunate accident into a deliberate action.

Police are like anyone else, They have affairs, they cheat, steal at times, lie. I respect the job, but do not blindly respect the individual.
I respect all religions, but don't blindly respect the individual priest, pastor, etc... Same with politicians, doctors....etc... A job title does not make the person a solid citizen. Integrity, ethics, common decency does.

By the way, I am almost 50 and I may have seen a marked police vehicle obey the speed limit only once or twice on highways in my life, but they drive responsibly by not weaving or changing lanes constantly, just like me. I too, can drive over the speed limit safely.

YOU know what I am so damm tired of these so call police state tropper and all the rest of law. Every time they kill someone of touching woman beat up teens. These police need to be stop this is going to far. Two beauitful girls have lost ther life for what him speeding yhat crazy. My heart goes out to the mother and father my god blessed them and keep them in his arms forever.

It is clear that the vast majority of comments are from individuals that aren't in law enforcement. The things you assume are pretty funny but of course you could do the job better right. Don't assume cops just put on blue lights to bust intersections. We don't have to use blue lights or sirens if we don't want to. Quite frankly they are loud and you can usually get places quicker when the general public doesn't freeze like a deer in the headlights OR just pay no attention what so ever. I wasn't in the car with the officer and it is a tragic event but accident's happen. He will carry this with him for the rest of his life. I am so tired of officers being made the criminal for unfortunate events from a dangerous job. Cops aren't perfect yet they are expected to be. Accidents happen people not that it makes it easier but this is life....and death.

I'm not so sure he was chasing anyone either. Tragedy.

I am so tired of people always coming to the defense of police, saying they put their lives on the line, their job is so difficult, etc. Many hard working men and women do dangerous, difficult work everyday, not just the police. Garbage men have it rough, so do doctors, nurses, EMTs, teachers, and the list goes on and on. Whether or not he was chasing a SPEEDER, killing 2 young women who were doing absolutely nothing wrong is inexcusable. Police have difficult jobs because they are charged with serving and protecting. How does mowing two young women down fall under that job description? It doesn't. I also agree with the people who state that police feel they are not subject to obeying certain laws, particulary the no cell phone while driving law. Cell phone use was outlawed while operating a motor vehicle because it is distracting and dangerous. Are police super humans who are some how impervious to this dangerous distraction? Or, is it because they risk so much and work so hard that we should all just look the other way while they put everyone else on the road at risk? I have respect for the hard work the police do, but not any more than I have for teachers, doctors, or the guy who picks up my smelly garbage every week. They chose to be police, hopefullly not just so they would be above the law that they are charged with enforcing. Besides, I'm sure they could be reimbursed for the purchase of a hands free kit, or at least write it off on their taxes. This guy screwed up, and if he was a teacher rushing to get to school on time to supervise a classroom full of children, all you same people defending him would be screaming for him to be hung from the nearest tree.

Why is it there are some good Cops and some bad Cops,.....fact of life I suppose. In any event, it comes down to some having a power trip and some who are purely honest in their profession. They say that if you want to be an FBI agent, you must go thru a rigorous type of boot camp and another type of physcological test along with a very serious background check. I think this is deemed a neccessary task, and I will put my trust and faith in them before any street Cop or a city Detective any day. Infact, I would also put my trust and faith into any Texas Ranger, US Marshal and Military force any day of the week before a street Cop and city Detective. But, when it comes to our Troopers who are for the most part traffic Cops on our Interstate hi-ways etc. and are the back ups to our County Sheriffs or and visa-versa you people must not forget, they come to our protection when we ask them! There just may be accidents in our lives and, their lives that we all go through, I'm sure he didn't intend to have any accident. And I'm sure he's had many nights where he hasn't been able to sleep along with the daily thought of being involved in this tragity himself. These days people are so quick to prosecute any kind of law enforcer and they don't really think twice about it,... people, its NOT us against them, ok? Their out to either catch Rapists, murderer's, thieves, drug dealers and your common ordinary daily criminals, DO NOT FORGET THAT! Without our enforcement of laws, crime would be rampant and it would be like the wild west or, it could be something like a war torn area. If this happened to me, and it were my children or wife that were killed, I would first look to see if there was intent and then secondly I would look to see if it was an accident, then make a judgement call. In this particular situation I believe there is more than meets the eye, so keep your heads clear, before you convict him.

Hope this trial will never get underway. The trooper did his best, as most police officers do, and had an accident. The police department should handle it internally. Robert Higbee does not need to be shamed for something that most troopers do everywhere.

What a tough call on this one. It does sound like the officer failed to at least slow down prior to entering the intersection – hopefully he had his lights and siren goine.

Before passing any judgement on the Police Officers statement there are a few details missing.

1- Has it been determined that the officer was in actually chasing a vehicle for example did he call into central that he was following a vehicle, direction, speed etc?
2- What was the speed of his vehicle? How fast was the other car going and how far ahead was it ?
3- At what point before the crash did he spot this possible speeder and how far from this initial observation did the accident occur?

I come from a family of LE and in no way say all cops are bad cops no one should I think they need to be held accountable for their actions but also respected for their hard work and putting their life in danger. I just watched 4 family members travel to CA and PA for fallen officers I look up to them and only hope if you have 1 bad time with a cop then you do not judge all of them...they do have families that worry sick when they walk out the door..I am glad to see this go to trial so the facts are out and I believe in our system and if he is guilty I will respect the jurors verdict and pray for these girls family and his...I will not judge anyone until I hear the evidence and I am not sure in all states but they are getting very strict on how they pursue people because of horrible accidents like this one. I pray for all involved in this case..this is very sad no matter what

Wow! How many of you are held under both public and internal scrutiny? How many of you speed, run a stop sign or violate a traffic law and get away with it, no reprocutions? The fact that a person, never mind this person is a Trooper, is involved in a fatal accident does not always lead to prosecution. Rarely, unless alcohol or other deliberate actions occur, are charges other than a traffic ticket given to a driver at fault in a fatal accident. If the at fault driver were not a police officer I would doubt an indictment would have been sought. For those bad mouthing the police; what about the time you got a warning or what if the Trooper has to expedite to get to a call in which lights and siren are not to be used, but the person who called just wants someone to get there fast (maybe you)? This Trooper is not a bad person, he in fact is one of the best people I have ever met. He has been through more than most and has endured more than most. As bad as we all feel for the mother and her unmeasurable loss, I would think, no I know, that this Trooper feels for her and her loss more than what he has gone through and will go through personally. So, some of you say double standard; do you think!

They say that the police officers are not required to turn on their lights and sirens until their close to the speeder but i think if he had his lights and siren on those girls might have seen it and possibly avoided that accident. I know the cops have a hard job because my renters are cops and i hear some of the things they have to do during their shift. The only thing i don`t like that they do is drive over the speed limit for no reason accept that they can. The only reason i don`t like that is their supposed to be an example for us. I`m sure this Trooper feels bad and i don`t think that he intended for this to happen. All we can do is pray for him and the mother of the two girls.

As an LEO I have been on the way to an emergency and prior to arriving other officers have handled it. People that have seen me enroute and then cut off the emergency equipment, pull up and ask what was I doing "playing cop" and driving fast. I believe that prior to judging ones actions you should at least gather as much info as possible about what really happened, If he's lying he'll go to jail like anyone else.

Cops all around America should just go to work and drink coffee rather than protect their communities. If you have an emergency....Too Bad! You don't support them, they should not protect you.

How can the Police inforce the law if they do not even bother to follow it themselfs. If the Police can break what ever laws thay want how can we expect every day Joe's to conform and follow the rules... Police Officers should be help to a higher standard then the rest of us.

Don't be playing god if you can not act like one ... How can this officer give another person a ticket for speeding and causing death when he has done the same thing ?

This guy should at the least NEVER be a police officer ( let alone a dog catcher) ever again and at best 20 years( 10 per girl) is still not enough.

i think the trooper should be held accountable for killing the two girls.police often brag about how much fun high speed pursuits are.i bet if you asked him before he killed someone his feelings around high speed pursuits you would have seen him smile upon answering .i wonder how he would react if another police agency killed his baby and wife giving chase?stop driving like you own the road cops.

This was a tragic accident and there are no winners here. We must keep in mind that this was an accident and the Trooper will have to live with this for the rest of his life. The mother of the victims is of course the one serving the ultimate life sentence without her daughters. Like I said there are no winner here but it was an accident. Do you really think this Trooper who has a clean record should go to prison for this? For an unfortunate accident? Would you or I go to jail? There are thousands of tragic accidents like this every year and most don't even reach this point because it's deemed an accident. My heart goes out to the victims and their family. May good bless them all.

I think if a police officer is in pursuit all light and sirens should blast.. When i hear sirens i become super alert as to where it is coming from and pull over if in my path,,so what if everyone has to stop and figure out what's going on....

The Trooper is not on trial to determine whether or not he's a nice person. He's on trial to determine whether or not his actions were reckless under the law. Regardless of the reason, including a chase in the line of duty, anyone entering a posted 35 MPH intersection at a speed of 65 MPH is committing an act of reckless endangerment. The Trooper's unfamiliarity with the area only increases his responicibilty to have slowed down, which is exactly what a prudent person, or reasonably acting Police Officer, would have done.

He should be punished for his reckless negligence! 80mph in a 35mph zone perusing simple speeder? Lied about slowing down as he approached the intersection? The "gap" should be closed using radios and helicopters not unlimited reckless speed. This stuff happens too often by arrogant, testosterone pumped, law enforcement with no regard for civilian safety. A message should be sent! I rest my case...

What a lame bunch of comments on these two girls unfortunately being killed in an accident and a good patrolman being tarred and feathered. The family has already gotten about $2M from the state and are sobbing in the courtroom to sway the jurors. Why put a good man in jail? Does the girls family want to ruin the troopers family and rest of his life? It's stupid.

I feel sorry for all people involved, however, the State Trooper has to feel worse than anyone...he has been trained to save lives and he is at fault for causing two young people to be gone forever...I am not sure if he is found not quilty he will be able to resume his duties without it affecting him negatively.

i agree w/sam. none of us where there soo we don't really know what happen. maybe those girls ran the stop sign. yes there are bad cop's out there, but they are good one's. I think he was a good cop. this guy has risk his life for his neighborhood, I think pleople in his neighborhood should stand by his side. just leave him alone!!! poor guy has a family , and he has to live this for the rest of his life. I also feel the police department he work's for should be by his side specially now.

Many times I have been passed by patrol cars going at least 20 mph OVER the speed limit, with no lights flashing nor siren going, and definitely Not chasing another car. I do feel that some cops feel that they are allowed to do things that we are not allowed to do when they are on duty. The officer on trial should be fired and get probation.
As for the money paid the family, money does not replace family members.

Please... someone...I just want to know the answer to ONE question about this case. The basic facts as I am aware of them:

Trooper was in probable pursuit of a speeder at time of crash.
Trooper proceeded thru stop sign at high rate of speed.
Trooper collided with vehicle that resulted in two deaths.

Were the trooper's flashing lights and siren ON at the time of the accident? In my mind, this is the MOST important question in this trial to determine whether or not this trooper was 'negligent'. I understand the importance of law enforcement in our society, but undue care also needs to be given to protect the innocent. A tragic 'accident'? Of course it was. But if I was sitting on that jury and it was shown that the trooper's flashing lights and siren were not on at the time, I would find it very difficult to find him not guilty of negligent homicide.

It's an unfortunate accident. iThe first article years ago indicated he was chasing a speeder and even the prosecutor know that to be true. I only wish the girls were wearing seatbelts, so they would have survived the accident. So because the didn't have a seat belt on, this trooper is being charged criminally. That doenesn't seem right. This is horrible that the two families have to go through this.

Bob, what does seat belts have to do with this case?? Why do you think the girls would have survived the accident if they had seat belts on?? I haven't read anywhere that they were thrown from the vehicle as a result of not having their seat belts on. Also, the witnesses that were parked at the stop sign that witnessed this accident have made NO mention of any probable speeder in the area. I have empathy for everyone concerned, but I am not convinced that the trooper followed proper procedures in his 'pursuit' of an alleged speeding vehicle.

I used to live there, everyone knows there is a stop sign at that intersection.No excuse for a state trooper. My daughter also was killed, in Upper Township, I could say alot about those COPS, most of them,not all, like to hang out at the pizza joint, next to the Wawa. I could say alot more and I will, I don't care if he is suffering,he is alive and those two wonderful girls are dead.Never will they marry,or have children. Take pity on their family.

I stand corrected. I have just read an article that both girls were ejected through the passenger-side window of their vehicle. It will probably never be known if seat belts would have made any difference, due to the extreme impact of the crash. But the fact remains that two lives are lost., and I just do NOT understand why a police vehicle traveling over twice the speed of the legal limit did not have his siren and flashing lights on!!!! This is negligence, to say the very least.

Question that came to mind.... Was the camera on in the cruiser?
If it was, it would have showed that he was chasing the car and it might have taped the sound of his siren.

That NJ state tropper is at falt because being dark it would have been even eseor for him to see the head lights coming tord him so being dark dont matter about the signs the lights would have told him there was a car to stop I drive truck so I know you can see the lights comming from the other way he had to be doing some thing els or he thinks he is above the law and if he gets off they should give all the money back to the peaple that had to pay fines for that spot above and be on the law that is two diferint laws that is all I got to say Thank you God Bless P.M.

How come no one is holding the speeder he was chasing accountable? If the speeder wasn't fleeing the police none of this would have ever happened. You have no idea what was going on in either car. Those quick to judge should I hope you never have a bad day at work. It's sad how much the public takes law enforcement for granted. How many times have all of you gone to work and made a mistake. It makes me sick how you people expect our LEO to be super human. They have kids that keep them awake, mortages to pay and days they just don't feel good. It was an accident. Next time you need help, deal with it yourself if you are so all knowing. All of you who don't respect law enforcement officers or take them for granted I hope your ignorance is not passed down to your children.

I do respect law enforcement officers. But they of all people should be aware of their surrondings. The speeder,should not have been speeding,but he slowed down,why did not Higbee ?? The speeder saw the stop sign,why not Higbee ?? The speeder slowed down, thinking Higbee was gonna catch him.After all this is a speeder,not a armed robber. Higbee needs to be held accountable for this. My daughter was killed by a distracted driver,in that same township.No one knows the pain and I don't wish it on anyone.Take pity on the family,who will never see their girls marry or have children. I never thought my child would be killed.One never knows what will happen in the days ahead.There for the Grace of God go I.Does anyone get this ???

If he wasn't chasing anybody why was a driver cited later on-he called it in...get all your facts.... this was just an accident!!! Of Course we need better procedures for our police so hopefully good policy will come from this tragedy. That is the only wish of this family.....

Time to check the records and see if this office EVER gave a ticket to any one for blowing through THAT stop sign...

If he gave even one ticket then there is the proof that he knew all about that stop sign.

Second though.. he just came from that direction and went through that very intersection. he stated in his report that the " Speeder " passed him and that he then make a "K" turn and began following the car...
and that he NEVER turned his lights on ( meaning no camera came on either)
he was not chassing any one or distracted just a few min before when he came through that same intersection... stopping at that very stop sign...

once again he knew about the Stop sign and the intersection...

fire him.. convict him.. give him the max... NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW...NOT EVEN A TROOPER.

As to the kid that was speeding... He slowed dowen as soon as he saw the officer and he even STOPPED at the stop sign before going thru the intersection...he may have made a moter vehicle offence, but he did not run the stop sign or run from the office... so a ticket for speeding yes... not for anything else..

he did not make the officer reckless and arrogent. the office did that all on his own.

I watched some of the trial coverage today.It does not matter if your a trooper or a civilian here...and it was a horrible accident!! But none the less 2 young girls died because of bad judgement while doing his job! And just like anything or anyone else..You must be held liable for your own actions!! And if found liable he should face the same punishment anyone else would get!Regardless of him being a Trooper or Not!

He is guilty and should receive the same treatment a civilian would. Being a police office does not give one a free pass for killing others.

Well condolences to the family of the girls. However, The time frame was at night. My question is why weren't the girls pulled over to the side to yield the right of way to an emergency response vehicle? did they have the radio up loud and didn't hear him coming closer? or were their vehicle factory sound proofed? Sighting of the flashing lights could not be seen from their position? Hmmm...the one that sticks to my mind is the teenagers weren't responsible enough to follow a simple seat belt law, were they responsible as young drivers to adhere to other laws? like yielding to an Emergency Response Vehicle with flashing lights and blaring sirens that gets louder as it closes in?

This is a horrible accident that cost two girls lives. I feel sorry for their family.

Sorry to sound cold, but this will not bring them back and most likely will cause NJ Police to change policies. I wonder if peoples opinion would change if the police were chasing someone that killed a loved one and they had to call off chase because of policy change?

The police are the MOST unappreciated group of people. They see the bad side of humanity day in and day out. A routine traffic stop could cost their life (Officer lost their life in a city by my house just last year.) A noisy dog complaint caused a man to shoot a women police officer as she was walking up to the front door of his house in my home town a few years back.

People really want to keep their cake and eat it to. I hae seen police "run" a red light and people think they are running to get to lunch of something. I can tell you I sure hope the police ran red lights and stop signs when they were coming to my house after my wife was attacked in our home.

I would imagine a family has sued police because they called off chase and family memver got hurt of killed. The way I see it, they are damed if they do or damed if they don't. If I was a police officer I would quit, because why should I protect people that don't appreciate that I put my life on the line on a daily basis. Not worth it.

Note to "Lee".... The trooper DID NOT have his siren and flashing lights on as he was exceeding the speed limit and blazing through the stop sign through the intersection.

Note to "Mike N".... I have NO problem with law enforcement running red lights and stop signs when responding in an emergent situation AS LONG AS THEY HAVE THEIR SIRENS AND FLASHING LIGHTS ON. Certain policies desperately need to be changed in order to protect the 'innocent' public as well.

Just my opinion, of course....

This State Trooper deserives to be guilty!!! NJ State Tropper only think of one thing.. Is them, and no one else... GUILTY GUILTY