CALIFORNIA. - John Bryson, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, was cited for felony 'hit & run' when he hit, not one but two cars within five minutes in San Gabriel Valley, California on Saturday.
Bryson rear-ended the first car, a Buick, at a railway crossing before he drove off, "hitting the same car again as he left," according to the Associated Press. Within a few more minutes Bryson's Lexus hit another car. Bryson, 68, was found unconscious at the wheel and was treated for minor injuries in a near-by hospital. He has been released according to reports by CNN.
Passengers in the Buick were also treated for minor injuries, whereas the passengers in the other one declined medical assistance.
The police department released a statement announcing that the investigation is still in its initial stages, but alcohol or drug influences have been tentatively ruled out. According to the San Gabriel Police Department "at this point in time, there is no indication that alcohol or drugs played a role in the collisions," as reported by the New York Times.
Commerce Department, spokeswoman, Jennifer Friedman, told the Los Angeles Times Monday morning, "Secretary Bryson was involved in a traffic accident over the weekend...He was taken to the hospital for examination and has been released. He has sustained no injuries and the investigation is ongoing."
John Bryson was appointed by President Obama last October. David Axelrod, senior Obama advisor, told CBS News Monday that he will not comment on the incident since the evidence surrounding the case was still scant. Axelrod, however, said that the incident should not have an impact on Obama's campaign for reelection since there are "bigger things on the minds of the American people, "as reported by CBS News.
