Gayle Manchin, the wife of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), and a colleague of hers have been hospitalized following a car accident in Birmingham, Alabama, the senator confirmed on Jan. 30.
Mr. Manchin, 76, said in a statement that his wife and her colleague, Guy Land, were both injured in a car crash on Jan. 29 while they were traveling from the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport to a hotel in the area for an Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) event the next day.
“Both were admitted to UAB Hospital and are receiving excellent care,” the senator said. “She remains in stable condition but will stay there for a couple of days for precautionary measures. We want to thank the first responders who answered the call and were first on-site to provide assistance and support.”
Ms. Manchin, 76, is the federal co-chair of the ARC, which according to its website seeks to strengthen economic growth in the Appalachian region. She was in Birmingham with Mr. Land, the ARC’s congressional liaison, for a grant workshop.
On Jan. 30, the Homewood Police Department said in a statement obtained by WDTV that the suspect who crashed into the SUV carrying Ms. Manchin was wanted on felony charges and was fleeing from police at the time of the car accident.
Police said the suspect was arrested without incident and is currently being held at the Homewood Jail pending warrants.
According to AL.com, the 31-year-old suspect, Tradarryl Rishad Boykins, is a convicted felon with a history of robbery, assault, burglary, and drug possession.
Mr. Boykins has been charged with two counts of second-degree assault, felony attempting to elude, and certain persons forbidden to possess a firearm, the news outlet reported.
Gayle Manchin
Ms. Manchin, a former educator, served as president of the West Virginia Board of Education and as the state’s secretary of education and the arts under Republican Gov. Jim Justice.
She was sworn in as the ARC’s 13th federal co-chair in 2021 after being nominated by President Joe Biden.
In a statement on Jan. 30, the ARC said that “another vehicle struck their car” while she and Mr. Land were driving from the airport to their hotel. The commission did not disclose Mr. Land’s condition, but it said that both he and Ms. Manchin “are receiving excellent medical care and remain at a UAB facility as they recover.”
Mr. Manchin was governor of West Virginia from 2005 until 2010 when he was elected to the U.S. Senate.
The couple have been married since 1967 and have three children together.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.