Driving concerns
Bryson leaves post for medical tests into seizures which caused car accidents
By André Coleman 06/14/2012
US Secretary of Commerce John Bryson will take a medical leave to undergo tests he hopes will reveal the cause of seizures he suffered this past weekend, which led to three successive car accidents in the San Gabriel Valley.
Bryson informed President Barack Obama on Monday that he was taking a medical leave “so that I can focus all of my attention on resolving the health issues that arose over the weekend,” according to a statement released by the department. Deputy Secretary Rebecca Blank will serve as acting commerce secretary in Bryson's absence.
Authorities said drugs or alcohol did not play a part in two hit-and-run accidents on Saturday, when the 68-year-old San Marino resident was driving his Lexus in the 400 block of South San Gabriel Boulevard and allegedly rear-ended another car.
According to reports, Bryson left the scene after the occupants of the vehicle asked for his information. He struck the car again as he backed up to leave, prompting the men to call 911 and follow him.
Moments later, Bryson crashed into another vehicle, this time near the intersection of San Gabriel Boulevard and Hellman Avenue. Authorities found him alone and unconscious behind the wheel of his car. Bryson was treated Saturday at an undisclosed hospital after the crashes, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and San Gabriel Police Department said in a joint statement. The incident is still under investigation.
Two people in the first collision were treated by paramedics for pain, but were not transferred to local hospitals.
On June 7, two days before the accidents, Bryson gave the commencement address at Pasadena Polytechnic School. According to published reports, his daughters attended the private school located on California Boulevard.
According to his official biography, Bryson was chairman of Edison International, the parent company of Southern California Edison, for 18 years until 2008.
According to a Monday report by CNN, Bryson was on personal leave and was not being accompanied by a security detail at the time of the accident.
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