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| John Bryson |
US Commerce Secretary John Bryson is being investigated for his role in two car crashes - including a hit-and-run accident - near his Los Angeles-area home over the weekend that department officials linked to a seizure that left him unconscious behind the wheel.
Bryson, who as commerce secretary oversees several agencies and focuses on business issues, was admitted to hospital in California but has returned to Washington, Commerce Department spokeswoman Jennifer Friedman said in a statement yesterday. The investigation into the crashes is ongoing, she added.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said yesterday that officials are concerned about the “health-related issues” involved in the accidents and that Jack Lew, President Barack Obama’s chief of staff, has spoken with Bryson since the accident.
Earlier yesterday, police in Southern California said Bryson was found unconscious on Saturday behind the wheel of his Lexus after crashing into the same car twice, leaving the scene and then colliding with another vehicle. At least one crash is being investigated as a felony hit-and-run.
It was not immediately clear what role the seizure played in the car crashes or if Bryson, 68, has been diagnosed with any underlying illnesses.
The incident raises questions about Bryson’s health and his future leadership at the agency as President Barack Obama is courting business leaders in his bid to win re-election in November. Bryson, an energy expert and seasoned businessman, has held the job for less than a year.
Police said so far “there is no indication that alcohol or drugs played a role in the collisions.” They added that Bryson and others were co-operative with the investigation.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, which would handle prosecution in this case, told Reuters that so far no charges have been formally filed.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Steve Whitmore said Bryson has been officially cited on suspicion of one felony hit-and-run offence for the first accident.
At the site of the second collision, Bryson voluntarily took and passed a breath-based alcohol test, Whitmore said, adding that authorities are awaiting results from a more comprehensive blood test. If they come back negative, it was unlikely that he would be charged in connection with the second crash.
In a statement released early yesterday, California’s San Gabriel Police Department said a preliminary investigation indicates Bryson caused the first crash when his Lexus rear-ended a Buick in San Gabriel on Saturday at about 5:05pm.
He spoke with three men in the Buick and then hit their car again when leaving the scene, police said.
The second crash took place about five minutes later in nearby Rosemead, California, when Bryson allegedly hit a Honda Accord, according to the statement, which was issued jointly by police and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Paramedics treated Bryson at the crash site, where Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Whitmore said Bryson was found alone and unconscious but later regained consciousness and was admitted to a local hospital. Commerce’s Friedman said Bryson stayed at the hospital overnight.
He was given medication to treat the seizure, according to a Commerce Department official, who added that Bryson was driving his own car on personal time and had no security detail at the time of the crashes.
Passengers in the other cars had no major injuries, police said.
Bryson is a former chief executive of Edison International and has served as Obama’s secretary of commerce since October 2011.
It was unclear how the accident or the investigation could affect his job in the administration.