Walz unharmed after some of the vehicles near the back of his motorcade crash in Milwaukee

By The Associated Press

Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks during a campaign stop at Laborfest Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Some vans at the back of a motorcade carrying Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz crashed on the highway while heading from the airport to a campaign stop in Milwaukee on Monday, but Walz was unhurt.

President Joe Biden called from Air Force One and spoke to Walz a short time later, as the president was traveling to a separate campaign stop in Pittsburgh with Vice President Kamala Harris. Harris herself was campaigning in Detroit before heading to the joint event later in the day with Biden, and her campaign said that she also spoke with her running mate by phone after the crash.

The Harris campaign said the crash involved vehicles near the rear of the motorcade. Walz, who is also the governor of Minnesota, was riding closer to the front. Images posted on social media showed large passenger vans with crumpled front and backends after the collision, which was said to have occurred on Interstate 794.

The White House said Harris was briefed on the collision and spoke with Walz to check on him and the staff.

Upon arriving at his event, Walz spoke briefly about the crash saying “some of my staff and members of the press that were traveling up with us were involved in a traffic accident on the way here today.”

“We’ve spoken with the staff. I’m relieved to say that with a few minor injuries, everybody’s going to be okay,” Walz said. “President Biden and Vice President Harris called to check in, and we certainly appreciate their concern, and I want to express my sincere thanks to the US Secret Service and all the local first responders for their quick reaction.”

It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the crash, which occurred shortly before 1 p.m. local time and caused some minor injuries.

A member of the traveling pool staff, who was in a van carrying reporters, had an injured arm and was treated by medics, according to a pool report from a reporter traveling in Walz’s motorcade, who wrote that passengers were “violently thrown forward, as our van slammed into the one in front of us and was hit from behind.”

Walz and his motorcade stopped at the hospital a few hours after the crash so he could check on staff members who were involved.

The van carrying the reporters remained pulled over on the side of the road for several minutes afterward.

Some reporters had scrapes and bruises and one had a bloody nose. Another feared having suffered a concussion and was initially looking to be taken to urgent care — but eventually climbed aboard a new van to accompany the rest of the press to the event.

All who wanted to be checked out by paramedics were assessed, according to the pool report.

The crash occurred after Walz and his wife, Gwen, were greeted at the airport by Democratic Rep. Gwen Moore of Wisconsin. The trio embraced, chatted and posed for a photo before the motorcade began heading to the event.

Monday’s campaign stops marking Labor Day were Walz’s first aboard the Harris-Walz campaign charter aircraft. It bears decals of an American flag, the words Harris-Walz, and “A New Way Forward.”