John Bryson, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Involved in Bizarre Double Hit-and-Run in San Gabriel

U.S. Department of Commerce

United States Secretary of Commerce John Bryson sure ended the weekend with a bang--er, make that three. In town to give the commencement speech at a Pasadena school, Bryson capped off his trip to Los Angeles by hitting two cars a total of three times.

The secretary was driving south on San Gabriel Boulevard just after 5pm Saturday* when his Lexus rear-ended a Buick stopped at a railroad crossing. According to reports, he got out of his car, and spoke to the three men in the car he hit.

The story might have stopped there, except that the secretary reportedly got back in his car and struck the car AGAIN while leaving the scene. He didn't get very far, though. Two miles, and less than ten minutes later he hit ANOTHER car--a Honda Accord at San Gabriel Boulevard and Hellman Avenue, where authorities found him unconscious behind the wheel of the Lexus.

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According to a statement from the Sheriffs Department, two of the three men in the Buick were treated by paramedics at the scene; the driver and passenger of the Accord declined medical aid.

A statement from Commerce Department spokeswoman Jennifer Friedman acknowledged the accidents, explaining that Bryson "suffered a seizure."

But Captain Mike Parker of the San Gabriel Police said police are still trying to determine whether or not that was indeed the case. "What's not known is if he was in any medical distress. That's part of the investigation," Parker told City News Service.

He added that no drugs or alcohol were found at the scene. Bryson, who was transported to the hospital after the crash, is back in D.C. this morning.

On Thursday, Bryson spoke at the graduation ceremony for Pasadena's K-12 Polytechnic School, from which his four daughters graduated. According to the school's website, the secretary "urged the students to continue their efforts to be of service to others, work for diversity and be creative."