Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, who is also vying for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, was involved in a car accident along an interstate highway in Tennessee.
On Tuesday morning, DeSantis and his team were in a four-car motorcade traveling southbound on I-75 near Chattanooga for the first of three Tennessee stops scheduled for the day. Reports indicate that traffic was heavy at the time, causing the driver of the lead car in the group to hit the brakes abruptly. The sudden stop then caused a chain-reaction collision involving all four motorcade vehicles.
Fortunately, no one appears to have been seriously injured in the crash. A female staffer suffered only a minor injury but continued traveling with other campaign members until they reached their Chattanooga destination, and she received treatment at the scheduled campaign event.
Bryan Griffin, the governor's campaign press secretary, released a statement about the incident. "This morning, the governor was in a car accident while traveling to an event in Chattanooga, Tennessee," the statement read. "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."
The accident occurred at approximately 8:15 a.m. It is unclear whether any other vehicles besides those in the motorcade were affected by the crash.
In addition to the Chattanooga stop, the DeSantis campaign has events scheduled in Knoxville and the Nashville area later on Tuesday. By Friday, the 44-year-old governor is expected to return to the state of Iowa to deliver a speech at the Iowa Republican Lincoln Day Dinner in Des Moines.
Though Iowa conducts a caucus rather than a primary, the Hawkeye State is still "the first in the nation" for voters to select a primary candidate, making it a key stop for primary challengers. Former President Donald Trump is not incumbent but still holds a commanding lead in all primary polling. According to the RealClearPolitics average, Trump leads DeSantis by nearly 35 points in national polls, 52.3% to DeSantis' 18%.
DeSantis is still clearly in second place, as none of the other contenders — including Vivek Ramaswamy, Sen. Tim Scott, and former Gov. Nikki Haley — even cracked double digits. In Iowa, Trump's average lead over DeSantis is slightly narrower at 31.7%. The Iowa caucus for the 2024 election will be held in January. Tennessee and many other states will hold a primary on "Super Tuesday," which for the 2024 election cycle will be March 5.
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