The senator’s accident in Maryland last weekend did not come as a surprise to some of his former staff members, who said he was a notoriously distracted driver.
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Former staff members said Senator John Fetterman, Democrat of Pennsylvania, often made video calls and read news articles on his phone while driving.
Senator John Fetterman, Democrat of Pennsylvania, was at fault in a car accident in Maryland on Sunday and has a record of distracted driving and infractions, according to police records and former aides.
A witness to the crash said Mr. Fetterman passed her on Eisenhower Memorial Highway in western Maryland, driving well over the posted speed limit of 70 miles per hour, according to the police report. Mr. Fetterman’s vehicle then rear-ended another, the report said.
The senator and his wife, Gisele Barreto Fetterman, as well as the other driver, a 62-year-old woman driving a Chevrolet Impala, were taken to the hospital. Both vehicles were towed from the scene.
The Maryland police records were reported earlier by USA Today. Images of what appeared to be Mr. Fetterman’s totaled SUV were obtained by WPXI.
In a video that he posted on social media on Monday, after being released from the hospital, Mr. Fetterman held up a bottle of Tylenol and a bag of frozen peas and said the crash had put a damper on plans to celebrate his 16th wedding anniversary. “Not great for your wedding anniversary, but we’re both great,” he said, making no mention of the other driver in the crash.
The accident did not come as a surprise to some of his former staff members, who said Mr. Fetterman was a notoriously distracted driver who often made video calls and read news articles on his phone while driving. They said he caused them major anxiety every time he got behind the wheel.
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Source: nytimes.com