Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and his staff were engaged in a vehicle crash on Tuesday, July 25, in Tennessee. According to his presidential campaign, everyone involved walked away unharmed.
In a statement, DeSantis' press secretary Bryan Griffin said: "This morning, the governor was in a car accident while traveling to an event in Chattanooga, Tennessee. 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."
Car Accident in Tennessee
The 44-year-old Republican presidential hopeful was slated to attend a fundraiser on Tuesday in Chattanooga, as reported by the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
According to NBC News, the first campaign statement did not explain the specifics of the car crash, such as how it happened or how many individuals or cars were involved.
The Chattanooga Police Department sent a statement later that morning saying that "a female staffer did suffer a minor injury but continued to the event and was treated there," and the campaign only followed up with further information.
They said the employee, who they did not name, had been checked out by doctors and was free to go. Reportedly, they had spoken with her and confirmed that she was not hurt.
The police said the accident on I-75 South just below East Brainerd Road occurred at 8:15 AM local time. All four vehicles in DeSantis' escort were unharmed, too.
"The motorcade came up on slow traffic and 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," the police stated.
After reorganizing his team earlier last month, DeSantis hit the campaign trail. The contender for 2024, who is now behind former President Donald Trump in the polls, has already let go of a dozen or so of his staff and is widely anticipated to cut more jobs.
Last week, NBC News reported that DeSantis' campaign was contemplating a complete overhaul, including new messaging, events, and media strategy.
DeSantis on New Black History Curriculum
In one of the latest news about DeSantis, it is reported that he and other state legislators are defending Florida's new Black History curriculum, which has been met with considerable criticism.
The governor and his supporters remained firm on their positions earlier this week, despite threats of legal action from a coalition of civic and religious groups.
On the other hand, some Republicans and Democrats are exploiting the incident to condemn DeSantis's bid for the presidency. Black leaders are now joining in on the criticism.
The resistance is focused on the recently imposed standards that mandate teaching about the possibility that enslaved people may learn useful skills and put them to use for their benefit.