Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida was involved in a car crash in Chattanooga, Tenn., on his way to a fund-raiser there on Tuesday, according to his spokesman, who added that Mr. DeSantis was unhurt.
“This morning, the governor was in a car accident while traveling to an event in Chattanooga, Tenn.,” Bryan Griffin, a spokesman for Mr. DeSantis’s presidential campaign, said in a statement. “He and his team are uninjured. We appreciate the prayers and well wishes of the nation for his continued protection while on the campaign trail.”
A spokesman for the Chattanooga Police Department said that Mr. DeSantis’s four-car motorcade was traveling on Interstate 75 on Tuesday morning when traffic suddenly slowed, causing the lead vehicle to brake sharply and resulting in a pileup.
Only vehicles in the governor’s motorcade were involved, and the police were called around 8:15 a.m., according to the police spokesman, Kevin West.
“I don’t think they were going real fast,” Mr. West said.
He added that a female staff member had suffered what he described as “minor injuries,” but that she was able to attend the event alongside Mr. DeSantis.
The campaign said that the staff member “was assessed on site by medical personnel and cleared to depart.”
Lucy Pratt, who co-hosted the fund-raiser at her Chattanooga home, said that Mr. DeSantis seemed to be in good spirits when he arrived. “We were happy that he arrived safely and that he was OK,” she said in a brief phone interview. “He came and he spoke to us and we had a delightful morning.”
Mr. DeSantis was also scheduled to attend events in Knoxville and Franklin on Tuesday.
