Vice presidential nominee Tim Walz was unhurt when a number of vans at the back of a motorcade he was travelling in crashed on a highway on Monday.
The Democrat and his entourage were heading from the airport to a campaign stop in Milwaukee on Monday when the collision happened.
It wasn't immediately clear what caused the crash, which occurred shortly before 1pm local time and caused some minor injuries.
A member of the travelling pool staff, who was in a van carrying reporters, had an injured arm and was treated by medics, according to a pool report from a reporter travelling in the motorcade.
They wrote that passengers were "violently thrown forward, as our van slammed into the one in front of us and was hit from behind”.
President Joe Biden called from Air Force One and spoke to Mr Walz a short time later, as the president was travelling to a separate campaign stop in Pittsburgh with Vice President, and presidential hopeful Kamala Harris.
We have a couple reporters with scrapes and bruises. One male reporter had a bloody nose. One female reporter is feared to have a concussion and is looking to head to urgent care. Eleven of the 12, including myself, are continuing on. This is the aftermath of the wreckage. pic.twitter.com/ka67BFoX4M
— Jazmine Ulloa (@jazmineulloa) September 2, 2024
Ms Harris herself was campaigning in Detroit before heading to the joint event later in the day with Mr Biden, and her campaign said she also spoke with her running mate by phone after the crash.
The Harris campaign said the crash involved vehicles near the rear of the motorcade. Mr Walz, who is also the governor of Minnesota, was riding closer to the front.
Images posted on social media showed large passenger vans with crumpled front and backends after the collision, which was said to have occurred on Interstate 794.
The White House said Ms Harris was briefed on the collision and spoke with Mr Walz to check on him and the staff.
The press pool vans in the back of @Tim_Walz motorcade have been in an accident on the highway. We’re all ok with some minor scrapes and injuries. We’re told the governor is fine, vehicles in the front of the motorcade are unaffected and kept going. pic.twitter.com/VmoGwxhUld
— Hope Karnopp (@hopekarnopp) September 2, 2024
Upon arriving at his event, Mr Walz spoke briefly about the crash saying "some of my staff and members of the press that were travelling up with us were involved in a traffic accident on the way here today."
"We've spoken with the staff. I'm relieved to say that with a few minor injuries, everybody's going to be okay
“President Biden and Vice President Harris called to check in, and we certainly appreciate their concern, and I want to express my sincere thanks to the US Secret Service and all the local first responders for their quick reaction.
Mr Walz and his motorcade stopped at the hospital a few hours after the crash so he could check on staff members who were involved.
The van carrying the reporters remained pulled over on the side of the road for several minutes afterward.
Taking the bus home and spied Gov. Walz'd motorcade on the way out of the hospital after he checked in on a staffer who was hurt in an earlier car crash. pic.twitter.com/qJhqXFqagp
— Jessie Geraci-Perez (@TheRealJay_Gee) September 2, 2024
Some reporters had scrapes and bruises and one had a bloody nose. Another feared having suffered a concussion and was initially looking to be taken to urgent care, but eventually climbed aboard a new van to accompany the rest of the press to the event.
All who wanted to be checked out by paramedics were assessed, according to the pool report.
The crash occurred after Mr Walz and his wife, Gwen, were greeted at the airport by Democratic Rep. Gwen Moore of Wisconsin. The trio embraced, chatted and posed for a photo before the motorcade began heading to the event.
