NEW YORK —  A contrite New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie apologized Thursday, January 9, saying he was “embarrassed and humiliated” by the actions of his staff that closed busy access lanes of the George Washington Bridge in September, snarling traffic in a town whose mayor did not support the governor’s reelection bid.

“I come out here today to apologize to the people of New Jersey,” Christie said, at a Trenton press conference. “I am embarrassed and humiliated by the conduct of some of the people on my team.”

Christie said he had fired Bridget Anne Kelly, a deputy chief of staff who apparently engineered the lane closures and said in emails: “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee.” Christie said she lied to him in connection with the growing scandal.

He also asked Bill Stepien, a close advisor, to not place his name in nomination for the chairmanship of the state Republican Party because Stepien, who also participated in some of the emails, expressed a tone that Christie said was “callous.”

Christie said he planned later Thursday to visit Fort Lee, the town just over the river from New York City, to apologize to its residents and to the town’s mayor, Mark Sokolich. On Wednesday, media reported that four separate emergency medical calls were delayed because of the traffic.  One woman ultimately died, though her death was probably unpreventable, officials said.

Reporters at the news conference questioned how Christie could be unaware of his staff’s actions. He has a reputation for having a very close-knit staff. But he insisted that he had no knowledge of the lane closures, or even that Sokolich, had not endorsed him.

David Wildstein, Christie’s appointee to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, was set to testify in a hearing in the New Jersey Assembly about the incident later Thursday. His lawyers had filed documents questioning the Assembly’s ability to call him to testify, but a judge ruled that Wildstein must appear.

The New Jersey attorney general’s office is also reviewing the lane closures.