CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, NJ–Attorneys in the trial of a New Jersey state trooper accused of vehicular manslaughter are arguing this morning over whether Judge Raymond A. Batten should allow testimony regarding any changes to the intersection of Stagecoach and Tuckahoe Roads after the high-speed collision that killed Christina and Jacqueline Becker in September 2006.Defense attorney William Subin says such information is relevant to his case because, he says, the photos in evidence do not accurately reflect what the intersection looked like the day of the incident. Since the incident, the original stop sign has been replaced by a larger one with reflective tape and is supported by two poles. Reflective tape has also been placed on the “stop sign ahead” warning sign. A four way blinking light has also been put up.
A large focus of the defense case is that the intersection was dangerous because of the difficulty in seeing the stop sign.
Later today jurors are expected to hear from Michael Taylor, the passenger in the third car in the collision. The first medical responder and law enforcement officials who responded to the scene are expected to follow.
On Monday, the first law enforcement officer to arrive at the scene and the driver of a third car involved in the collision testified. Prosecutors say Trooper Robert Higbee’s recklessness while pursuing a speeding motorist resulted in the deaths of Christina and Jacqueline Becker. His patrol car collided with their mini-van after he ran a stop sign.
The defense claims Higbee followed police procedure and that lighting conditions and placement of the stop sign at the intersection prevented Higbee from seeing the stop sign until it was too late.
Higbee faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Prosecutors indicted the trooper five months after the crash, alleging that he acted recklessly while chasing a speeding car.
Stay tuned to In Session for gavel-to-gavel coverage of this case with correspondent Jean Casarez.
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