A Sunday morning drive turned dangerous for a U.S. senator when a pickup truck driver lost consciousness behind the wheel and plowed into several vehicles, including the one carrying the lawmaker.
Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware was riding as a front-seat passenger in a vehicle driven by a staffer when the incident unfolded around 10:20 a.m. on June 28 along Savannah Road in Lewes, Delaware. A nearby pickup truck driver suffered a sudden medical episode, lost control, and slammed into multiple cars, triggering a multi-car pileup.
According to a report, Lewes Police Chief Thomas Spell confirmed that the senator’s vehicle, along with several others, was struck by the pickup truck driver who had a suspected medical issue causing him to lose consciousness.
Coons was transported to Beebe Hospital, where he was treated for what his office described as minor injuries. He has since returned home and is expected to make a full recovery.
His office released a formal statement describing the sequence of events and expressing relief that no one was seriously hurt. “Senator Coons was transported to Beebe Hospital and treated for minor injuries. He is now home and expected to make a full and swift recovery,” the statement read.
The senator also took to X, formerly Twitter, to address the incident directly with his followers, sharing similar details and thanking those who responded to the scene.
Both the statement and his social media post gave particular thanks to the first responders who handled the situation. Coons singled out the Lewes Police Department, the Lewes and Rehoboth Fire Departments, and Sussex County Emergency Medical Services, along with the medical staff at Beebe Hospital. He described their response as prompt, professional, and said he received excellent care.
“I’m feeling relieved and blessed that by all accounts no one was seriously injured during the crash,” Coons wrote on X.
The condition of the pickup truck driver was not detailed in the senator’s office statement or his social media posts, though the crash does not appear to have resulted in any life-threatening injuries among those involved.
It was an unsettling start to a Sunday for the Delaware Democrat, but by all accounts, the outcome could have been significantly worse.