“The black car is, it’s actually, I think a senator of Pennsylvania — that real big, tall guy. … He just ran into that red car,” a first responder is heard saying in the video.
The same officer recounting a witness statement later says: “He was flying, and she wanted to merge, and he just smashed her.”
The footage, released by the state police on Thursday under Maryland’s Public Information Act and redacted in some instances, shows Fetterman answering questions politely. The senator didn’t announce his identity as he and his wife and another driver gathered on the side of a highway in Washington County last month.
A first responder on the scene, talking to state troopers some distance away from Fetterman, described how he recognized him.
“As soon as I walked up, I saw him in the shorts and the sweatshirt, and [I said], ‘Good morning, Senator,’” he recalled. “In 20 years of doing this, I’ve never, never had a politician.”
This crash occurred the morning of June 9 on Interstate 70 near Hagerstown, according to the state police. Fetterman rear-ended a Chevrolet Impala while driving west “well over the posted speed limit,” the police report said, citing a witness.
After the crash, Fetterman was treated for a shoulder injury, and he and his wife were taken to the hospital by ambulance, according to a police report and information from his office. No citations were given at the scene, the police report said. Fetterman brushed off the wreck afterward, brandishing a bag of frozen peas and Tylenol in a video with his wife, thanking people for their well wishes.
Fetterman’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday afternoon, but in a statement last month, Fetterman said he would drive more slowly in the future.
“This was an unfortunate accident on Sunday, and I’m relieved and grateful that there were no serious injuries,” he said then. “I’ve been driving for almost 40 years, and I’ve gotten a small handful of tickets. When I sped, I was held accountable. I need to do better and do it slower — and I will.”
Fetterman, a 6-foot-8 freshman senator who survived a stroke on the campaign trail and then checked himself into a medical facility for depression treatment shortly after coming to D.C., has cut an outsize figure on Capitol Hill. He wears his signature hoodies at formal events and in the Capitol, sparking a debate about the Senate’s dress code.
While serving as lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania for two years, Fetterman had a security detail that drove him around the state. But as a senator, he often drives himself, especially around the Keystone State, according to people familiar with his travel. He often drives himself much of the way to and from his hometown of Braddock, Pa., and D.C.
The crash put a spotlight on previous unsafe driving by Fetterman. He has received two speeding tickets for violations of at least 24 mph above the speed limit, one in 2016 and one in March, according to Pennsylvania state records. After the ticket this year, when he was driving 34 mph over the limit, he was required by the state to complete a driver’s improvement course, according to a person familiar with the outcome who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the episode. Neither record said exactly where he was driving or how fast he was going.
In response to questions from The Washington Post about the accounts of his driving, a spokesman for Fetterman called them “gossip and inaccurate” but declined to address any specifics.
Some portions of video and audio that appear to detail personal or medical information were redacted by Maryland officials. Maryland law says certain information is not considered public such as personal addresses and phone numbers.
The video and audio record an otherwise routine wreck for police, medics and firefighters. At one point, as two of them stand next to the damaged cars, they joke about how badly Fetterman’s SUV is damaged.
“Gonna need a tow for this one, too, I guess,” one says.
“Yeah, this one’s definitely not gonna move,” the other responder replies.
Liz Goodwin contributed to this report.
