US presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis was involved in a multi-car accident on Tuesday in Tennessee but was uninjured as he travelled in a motorcade to a campaign stop for his 2024 presidential bid.
The crash happened before 8.15am when traffic slowed on Interstate 75 in Chattanooga, causing four cars in the motorcade to hit one another, police said.
All the vehicles involved in the crash were government vehicles taking Mr DeSantis and his team to his scheduled event, they said.
The Republican White House hopeful was not hurt, according to Chattanooga police, Florida law enforcement protecting the governor and DeSantis campaign spokesperson Bryan Griffin.
Mr DeSantis continued on to the campaign event. A female staff member who suffered a minor injury in the crash was treated at the event, police said.
The governor’s staff and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s agents, who are required by Florida law to provide security for the governor and his immediate family, “all have been cleared with no significant injuries,” department spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger said.
One of the department’s agents was driving the governor’s vehicle, she said.
Representatives for Mr DeSantis’ campaign did not offer more details about the accident.
Mr DeSantis was scheduled to hold events throughout central and eastern Tennessee as he prioritises Super Tuesday states in his campaigning. Super Tuesday, held on March 5 next year, is when the largest number of delegates are up for grabs of any day in the primary cycle.
Earlier this month, Mr DeSantis addressed more than 1,800 attendees at a state Republican dinner in Nashville.
The Florida governor, who has trailed front-runner Donald Trump in the Republican presidential contest, was expected to be at a fundraiser at a private home in Chattanooga on Tuesday.
Mr DeSantis’ team has raised 150 million dollars (£116 million) for his presidential ambitions so far.
