A police report has determined that Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was at fault for a car crash on Sunday that resulted in hospitalization for him, his wife, and the driver of the other vehicle, as reported by USA Today.
The incident occurred at approximately 7:45 a.m. on Interstate 70 in western Maryland, near the exit for I-68. According to the Maryland State Police crash report, Fetterman was driving a Chevrolet Traverse when he struck the rear of a Chevrolet Impala. The report stated that Fetterman was driving “at a high rate of speed, well over the posted speed limit” of 70 mph.
No tests for alcohol or substance use were conducted, and no citations were issued following the accident. Both vehicles were rendered inoperable by the collision, and Fetterman, his wife Gisele, and the 62-year-old woman driving the Impala were all transported to hospitals for treatment.
You might have heard G and I were in a car accident yesterday. Thank you all for the well wishes.
Not the best way to spend our 16th wedding anniversary but we’re doing well and happy to be back home in Braddock with the family. pic.twitter.com/OKFmbUXtNF
— Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) June 10, 2024
In a statement, Fetterman expressed relief that there were no serious injuries. “This was an unfortunate accident and I’m relieved and grateful that there were no serious injuries. I need to do better and do it slower — and I will,” he said, according to WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh.
A subsequent report by The Washington Post highlighted issues with Fetterman’s driving record. In 2016 and again in 2023, he was cited for driving more than 24 miles over the speed limit. In March, he was recorded driving 34 miles per hour over the speed limit in Westmoreland County, near Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania state rules mandate that anyone caught driving 31 mph over the speed limit must attend Driver Improvement School and either take a special driver’s examination or face a 15-day suspension of their driving privileges.
In 2016, Fetterman pled guilty to driving 24 mph over the limit in Warren County, northwestern Pennsylvania.
The Washington Post report also cited concerns from unnamed aides regarding Fetterman’s driving habits, including allegations that he texts and uses FaceTime while driving. These concerns have led his aides to avoid sending him messages when they know he is driving, fearing he might respond while behind the wheel. Fetterman dismissed these accounts as “gossip and inaccurate.”
The police report from Sunday’s crash did not determine whether Fetterman was distracted at the time, noting it as “unknown,” but confirmed that the driver of the other vehicle was not distracted.
This incident has raised further scrutiny of Fetterman’s driving practices and the precautions that might need to be taken to ensure safer driving in the future.
