Gov. Ron DeSantis was involved in a multi-car accident on Tuesday in Tennessee but was uninjured as he traveled in a motorcade to a campaign stop for his 2024 presidential bid.
The chain reaction crash happened before 8:15 a.m. when traffic slowed on Interstate 75 in Chattanooga, causing four cars in the motorcade to hit one another, police said. All the vehicles involved in the crash were government vehicles taking DeSantis and his team to his scheduled event, police said.
“While traveling to an event in Tennessee this morning, the Governor was involved in a vehicle accident involving several cars in the motorcade, including the Governor’s vehicle. The Governor was uninjured, his staff and FDLE Agents were evaluated, and all have been cleared with no significant injuries,” asserted Gretl Plessinger, spokesperson for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
“The lead vehicle had to brake quickly, which caused a rear-end collision involving the other vehicles. All the vehicles involved were government vehicles accompanying Governor DeSantis and his team to his scheduled event,” said Chattanooga police, as reported by WESH.
These new details follow Bryan Griffin saying DeSantis was “in a car accident while traveling to an event in Chattanooga, Tennessee.”
“He and his team are uninjured,” Griffin added, saying Team DeSantis appreciates “the prayers and well wishes of the nation for his continued protection while on the campaign trail.”
WESH noted one female staffer had minor injuries.
The Florida Governor was expected to be at a fundraiser at a private home in Chattanooga on Tuesday. Hosts for the fundraiser were to pay $10,000 per couple for the event, while co-hosts were paying $5,000 and other attendees were paying $2,000 each, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
The Governor’s trip to raise money comes as polls find him mired in second place.
Tennessee’s Beacon Poll, conducted from June 14 to June 23, shows the Florida Governor with 12% support in the open Republican Primary. This puts him 49 points behind fTrump’s 61%. Meanwhile, former Vice President Mike Pence’s 8%, while no threat to Trump, puts him just 4 points out of second place.
A Vanderbilt University poll has Donald Trump topping the field of potential and declared 2024 Republican presidential candidates, with 59% support against 25% for DeSantis.
Just two months after entering the race, DeSantis already has been cutting staff while facing new questions about his aggressive spending, his media strategy and his apparent willingness to brawl with any and all foes except for Trump, the one person he must defeat to claim the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination.
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