Ben Carson canceled campaign events for Tuesday and Wednesday after three volunteers and one staffer for the retired neurosurgeon’s campaign were involved in a car accident.
“We unfortunately had some tragedy in our campaign today,” Carson told CNN affiliate WCIV in Charleston, South Carolina, where he had been campaigning. “One of the vans in Iowa, with one of our staffers and three student volunteers, hit a patch of ice, flipped on its side, (and) was hit by another vehicle.”
Iowa State Police Sgt. Nathan Ludwig told CNN that the accident happened on I-80 near Atlantic around 9:45 a.m. CT when the driver lost control of the van after attempting to change lanes. The van traveled through the median and was broadsided by a Chevrolet Avalanche pickup truck.
Ludwig said he did not know the conditions of the victims.
The campaign said three of the passengers, including the campaign staffer driving, were examined and released from Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic, Iowa. One volunteer was transported to the trauma center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
“Everybody’s being looked at in the hospital right now. One person is very gravely wounded,” Carson added.
Carson said he had spoken with a neurosurgeon who was attending to the seriously injured volunteer, who was identified by campaign spokesman Jason Osborne as Braden Joplin. Carson also said he had spoken with Joplin’s family and that he would travel to Omaha to be with him.
“I think that’s where we need to be right now,” Carson said.
Osborne, who told CNN that the campaign suspended events through Wednesday, was unable to provide Joplin’s age but said he was either in college or a recent college graduate. Osborne would not release the name of the driver.
Carson’s Iowa state director, Ryan Rhodes, asked for prayers in a Facebook post.
“Today is one of those days where it’s about more than politics please pray for Braden a dedicated volunteer who put his heart and soul into this effort. Somehow the words Trust in God mean more now than can be expressed,” he wrote.
Rivals offer thoughts, condolences
Several of Carson’s GOP rivals offered their support over Twitter.
“Heidi and I are lifting up in prayer the @RealBenCarson staffers injured in a car accident in Iowa. By His stripes, we are healed. Is. 53:5,” Texas Sen. Ted Cruz tweeted.
“Thoughts & prayers with @RealBenCarson’s volunteers & staff- involved in a car accident this morning,” tweeted Corey Lewandowski, Donald Trump’s campaign manager.
“Just heard about the serious car accident involving @RealBenCarson staff and volunteers. Please join me in praying for them,” Florida Sen. Marco Rubio tweeted.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to @RealBenCarson, his campaign staff and their volunteers today. Praying for quick recoveries,” former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum tweeted.