NJ-SEN: Trooper (R) running for Senate was named in 2023 wrongful death lawsuit, is under internal investigation

A New Jersey State Trooper who has emerged as one of the leading Republican candidates to challenge U.S. Senator Cory Booker was accused of improperly investigating a 2022 car crash on the Garden State Parkway and leaving its victim to die.

The lawsuit against Richard Tabor, filed in 2023, alleged that 22-year-old David Kilasi may not have died instantly in the crash, and that the State Police’s negligence – Kilasi’s body was not discovered until three days after the accident – contributed to his death. The suit was settled last fall, though the amount of the settlement has not been made public.

Tabor told the New Jersey Globe that he is unable to comment on most aspects of the lawsuit due to a non-disclosure agreement. He did insist, however, that he was not at fault: “It didn’t happen on my shift, but I got blamed for it,” he said. “That’s why the case got closed.”

Robert Fuggi, the lawyer who represented the Kilasi family, did not respond to two calls to his law office. Tabor’s attorney, Malcolm Thorpe, declined comment.




https://newjerseyglobe.com/judiciary/trooper-running-for-senate-named-in-2023-wrongful-death-lawsuit-is-under-internal-investigation/