Commerce Secretary Bryson suffered seizure
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Commerce Secretary John Bryson suffered a seizure while involved in two traffic accidents in Los Angeles over the weekend, a spokeswoman for the agency said Monday.
According to the police department in San Gabriel, Calif., 10 miles east of downtown L.A., Bryson rear-ended a car Saturday afternoon and then drove away from the scene after talking briefly with the passengers of the car he struck. Subsequently, Bryson may have caused a second car crash, the police department said.
Bryson was discovered unconscious behind the wheel by authorities. He was on personal time and did not have a security detail; he also was driving his own vehicle.
In a statement, Jennifer Friedman, a spokeswoman for the Commerce Department, said Bryson "suffered a seizure."
"He was taken to the hospital and remained overnight for observation. He was released and has returned to Washington. An investigation is ongoing," she added.
At the hospital, police officers gave Bryson a citation for felony hit and run.
The White House had a muted reaction. Jay Carney, President Barack Obama's spokesman, said the president learned about the accidents this morning and was concerned about Bryson's health and "broadly about the incident."
"But we are still in the early days here about learning about the situation," Carney said.
Jack Lew, the White House chief of staff, spoke with Bryson this morning.
Bryson was chairman of
The police department said that there is no indication that alcohol or drugs played a role in the collisions. All parties were cooperative with law enforcement, the statement said, adding that the investigation is in its preliminary stages.
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