Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and members of his team were involved in a car accident Tuesday morning but are uninjured, his campaign said.
“This morning, the governor was in a car accident while traveling to an event in Chattanooga, Tennessee,” DeSantis campaign spokesman Bryan Griffin said in a statement. “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,” Griffin added.
Medical personnel assessed one of DeSantis’s campaign staffers at the site and cleared her to depart, according to a person familiar with the incident who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe it in more detail. Representatives for the Chattanooga Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday.
DeSantis, a candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, was scheduled to be in Chattanooga on Tuesday for a fundraiser held by local Republicans. He was also slated Tuesday to make two more fundraising stops in Tennessee — in Knoxville and Franklin — as he continues his bid for the presidency amid a crowded GOP field.
DeSantis is one of a handful of candidates who has qualified for the GOP’s first presidential primary debate next month. Former president Donald Trump has so far refused to commit to participating in the debate.