Named after Hamilton girl, 16, paralyzed by an aggressive driver

BY TOM HESTER SR.

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Gov. Chris Christie Friday signed known as Jessica Rogers’ Law that allows for increased criminal penalties for bodily harm caused through the aggressive operation of a motor vehicle, an action commonly known as "road rage."

The legislation (S-1468) was crafted in response to a 2005 automobile accident involving a “road rage” incident that left a 16-year-old Hamilton girl, Jessica Rogers, requiring 24 surgeries and ultimately paralyzed from the chest down.

Because existing laws do not provide what officials believe adequate penalties for aggressive drivers who cause injuries, the Rogers family advocated strongly for passage of the bill to increase the penalties for incidents of road rage.

"As a parent, Jessica Rogers' story hits close to home,” Christie said at a Statehouse bill-signing gathering. “It is the story of the worst fears we have for our children realized – when they are seriously harmed because of another person’s recklessness. Through the actions of an enraged driver, tragedy was levied on the Rogers family and justice was left out of reach because the laws of our state were not adequate to appropriately prosecute the crime.