A severe motorcycle crash interrupted Vice President Kamala Harris‘s motorcade in Georgia as she traveled with running mate Gov. Tim Walz through the swing state.
Officers with the Savannah Police Department were traveling as part of the duo’s security detail when one of its officers suffered “serious injuries” and fell down with his bike.
The department said in a statement that this was a “single-vehicle accident” that occurred around 7 p.m. Eastern time.
The victim was identified as Savannah Police Corporal David Bates, the Daily Caller reported.
Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' Georgia bus tour paused briefly Wednesday after a single police motorcycle that was part of their motorcade crashed. https://t.co/RhrOEtO2Ep
— FOX 5 Atlanta (@FOX5Atlanta) August 29, 2024
Gov. Walz was in a tour bus at the time of the accident.
“The Savannah Police Department is supporting Corporal Bates and his family as he begins his recovery from injuries sustained in this vehicle accident,” SPD Chief Lenny B. Gunther said in the statement.
Still, images from the scene showed officers responding to their fallen colleague.
There were also visible blood tracks on the ground from Bates’s body.
The department said in a statement:
“We will be by his side every step of the way,” the statement read. It adds that Bates “sustained serious injuries” and was taken to Memorial Health University Medical Center for further medical care. “He is in stable condition and continues to undergo treatment,” they said.
“The Secret Service is aware of an incident that occurred during a motorcade movement yesterday,” Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Atlanta Field Office Frederick D. Houston said in the statement.
Police: Savannah officer 'seriously injured' assisting with Kamala Harris motorcade | Click on the image to read the full story https://t.co/JEW9yn8r8A
— WJCL News (@WJCLNews) August 29, 2024
The lead agent for Harris’s entourage said the motorcade would continue its plans on to its next stop:
“The movement was not affected by the incident. We are thankful for the support of our law enforcement partners and wish Corporal David Bates a full and speedy recovery.” No further details about what caused the accident were immediately available.
Harris was heading to southern Georgia to appeal to Black residents who will make up one in three voters this November.
She is hoping to repeat Biden’s feat of flipping the state blue in 2020.
