Sad Thing To Have Happen..

N.J. Trooper Pleads 'Not Guilty' In Deadly Crash

Since the night her two daughters died in a horrific crash when a state trooper's cruiser plowed into them, Maria Caifa has wanted to meet the man behind the wheel, to see him, to speak with him.

Thursday morning, she got her wish.

Trooper Robert Higbee asked Caifa's lawyer if he could have a brief word with the woman moments after the hearing ended. The two embraced for about 15 seconds and exchanged a few words.

Neither Higbee's lawyer nor Caifa's lawyer would say what was discussed. Higbee did not speak during the arraignment, which lasted approximately three minutes. His lawyer entered a plea of not guilty to two counts of death by auto.

Lewis April, Caifa's lawyer, said she had long wanted to speak to Higbee and was appreciative of the trooper's gesture.

She was too upset to speak to reporters on Thursday, he added.

"She had never seen trooper Higbee. He was the individual who changed her life," April said. "She had always said she wanted to talk to trooper Higbee. This was something she wanted all along -- some kind of response."

The head of the state trooper's union said Higbee is extremely upset over the deaths.

"From Day One, his heart is broken," said David Jones, president of the State Troopers Fraternal Association. "He couldn't be any more remorseful."

The charges stem from a crash that killed two teenage sisters as they drove to get a gallon of milk in Upper Township in September.

Authorities said Higbee ran a stop sign and struck the front driver's side of the teens' Dodge Caravan, killing 17-year-old Jacqueline Becker and her 19-year-old sister, Christina.

The van and patrol car skidded across the road, smashing into another minivan that was stopped at the intersection.

Higbee was issued summonses in October for failure to stop or yield right of way and careless driving. He was indicted on the death by auto charge last month and remains suspended without pay pending the resolution of the case.

If convicted, the trooper could face a prison term of five to 10 years.

David Meyer, Cape May County's first assistant prosecutor, said his office had offered a plea deal to Higbee, but the offer has not yet been accepted or rejected. Meyer, April, and Higbee's lawyer, D. William Subin, all declined to say what the offer was.

But Subin said Higbee is not interested in pleading guilty to anything.

"This was a tragic accident," he said. "Trooper Higbee is innocent of any criminal wrongdoing. I do not believe this case belongs in criminal court. Unless a motion is granted to dispose of this matter, he will absolutely go to trial."

Jones said Higbee was chasing a speeder who was going at least 30 mph faster than the speed limit. But several witnesses have told authorities and Caifa's lawyer that they saw no other vehicle on the road just before the crash.

"He was attempting to stop that violator, and he missed a stop sign in an area that was not familiar to him," Jones said. "We are allowed to chase speeders. That's what we do."