Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) rear-ended another car on Interstate 70 in Maryland on June 9 while driving at “a high rate of speed,” according to a state police report. The report determined that Mr. Fetterman was at fault in the crash.
The incident occurred just before 8 a.m. as Mr. Fetterman and his wife Gisele passed another motorist, who told police that Mr. Fetterman was traveling “at a high rate of speed, well over the posted speed limit,” which is 70 mph on that section of I-70.
Moments later, Mr. Fetterman rear-ended another vehicle, which was being driven by a 62-year-old woman, according to the report. Mr. Fetterman was driving a Chevrolet Traverse SUV, and struck the rear of a Chevrolet Impala on Interstate-70 in Hancock, a Maryland State Police report stated.
NTD has contacted Maryland State Police for confirmation and further comment, but did not receive a reply before deadline.
Following the crash, both cars were towed from the scene. Mr. Fetterman, his wife, and the other driver were taken to hospital to be treated for minor injuries, police said.
The accident was acknowledged by Mr. Fetterman’s office earlier this week. The office confirmed that the senator received treatment for a bruised shoulder and was released later that day.
No additional details were provided on the injuries sustained by Mr. Fetterman’s wife or those of the other motorist involved in the crash.
It’s not the first time the Democratic senator has been caught speeding, he has two earlier offenses, one in 2016 and the other in March of this year.
In the most recent incident, police did not test Mr. Fetterman to determine whether he was driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The police report stated that the senator was apparently not distracted during the incident.
Upon his return to his home in Braddock, Pennsylvania, Mr. Fetterman posted a video of him and his wife acknowledging the accident. The couple thanked well-wishers, adding that it wasn’t how they had wanted to spend their 16th wedding anniversary.
“You might have heard G and I were in a car accident yesterday. Thank you all for the well wishes. Not the best way to spend our 16th wedding anniversary but we’re doing well and happy to be back home in Braddock with the family,” Mr. Fetterman posted on X.
Mr. Fetterman also issued a statement taking responsibility for the incident. “This was an unfortunate accident and I am relieved and grateful that there were no serious injuries. I need to do better and do it slower—and I will.”
NTD has contacted Mr. Fetterman’s office for confirmation of his statement.
The 54-year-old suffered a stroke in May 2022 during his campaign run, which has left him with occasional bouts of disorientation and the inability to speak fluidly at times. The stroke also resulted in his having difficulty processing spoken conversation.
As a result, he often uses devices in congressional hearings and routine conversations to transcribe spoken words in real time.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.