NASHVILLE — A four-vehicle motorcade taking Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to a Chattanooga campaign fundraiser was involved in a crash on Interstate 75 south Tuesday morning, Chattanooga police said.
DeSantis was not injured and continued to the event, according to a Chattanooga Police Department news release.
One female staffer suffered a minor injury but also continued to the event and was treated there, the release said.
"This morning, the governor was in a car accident while traveling to an event in Chattanooga, Tennessee," Press Secretary Bryan Griffin said in a statement. "He and his team are uninjured."
DeSantis was on his way to Chattanooga for a campaign fundraiser, one of three fundraising events in Tennessee this week. Other stops are in Knoxville and Franklin.
"We appreciate the prayers and well wishes of the nation for his continued protection while on the campaign trail," Griffin added.
Chattanooga police said in the release the I-75 crash occurred near East Brainerd Road at mile marker 2.8.
"The motorcade came up on slow traffic, and the lead vehicle had to brake quickly, which caused a rear-end collision involving the other vehicles," the release states. "All the vehicles involved were government vehicles accompanying Gov. DeSantis and his team to his scheduled event."
DeSantis was in Tennessee earlier this month where he was keynote speaker at the Tennessee Republican Party's Statesmen's Dinner fundraiser.
Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-285-9480.