Leg surgery successful for US governor hurt in car crash; police find other driver

Surgery on Gov. Jon S. Corzine's injured leg was successful Saturday, while a New Jersey state official said the driver blamed for the wreck that critically injured the governor had been found but would not be charged.

Corzine's recovery was progressing better than doctors expected, said Dr. Steven Ross, head of trauma at Cooper University Hospital. Doctors cleaned a 15-centimeter wound during surgery on his left thigh.

The governor is not able to speak and not aware of his surroundings because of his heavy sedation. He is expected to remain on a ventilator until at least Monday, doctors said.

"He awakens, answers to simple 'yes or no' questions about pain," Ross said. "He won't remember much of what is going on at this point."

Corzine was hurt Thursday when the SUV in which he was riding was clipped by a vehicle that swerved to avoid a red pickup truck that officials said was being driven erratically. Corzine's vehicle slammed into a guard rail along the highway near Atlantic City.

The 20-year-old driver of the red truck was found Friday night at an Atlantic City casino where he works and interviewed by police, police said.

He was not charged with leaving the scene of an accident because he did not realize he was involved in the crash, State Police Capt. Al Della Fave said. However, authorities left the door open for charges to be filed later, saying the investigation was not yet complete.

An official with knowledge of the investigation described the driver as a "special needs driver," but said it was unclear if that contributed to the accident. The official spoke also on the condition of anonymity because that official was not authorized to discuss the matter.

The driver was tracked down in part using leads from highway surveillance cameras and toll information, police said.

Corzine _ who was riding in a sport utility vehicle driven by a state police trooper _ apparently was not wearing his seat belt, as required by law. Also, the vehicle's air bags may have not inflated, said Tom Shea, the governor's chief of staff.

The governor's femur bone was broken in two places, and it protruded through his skin. He also suffered a broken sternum, 12 broken ribs, a head laceration and a minor fracture on a lower vertebra, according to doctors at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, where he was flown by helicopter after the crash.

His injuries were not considered life-threatening, but it will likely be at least three to six months before he can walk normally, doctors say.

State Senate President Richard Codey has stepped in as acting governor.

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Associated Press writer Beth DeFalco contributed to this report from Trenton.