The wife and daughter of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid were seriously injured in an automobile accident in Fairfax County, Virginia Thursday afternoon. Lana Reid-Barringer, 48, was driving a 2005 Honda Odyssey van northbound on Interstate 95 when heavy traffic caused her to stop. A tractor trailer loaded with rolls of plastic failed to stop and rear-ended the van, causing it to hit the vehicle in front.
The vehicle was crushed on both sides, but thankfully both Reid-Barringer and mother Lana Reid, 69, were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the accident. According to a prepared statement by Reid spokesman Jim Manley:
“While driving on a Washington, D.C., highway, their vehicle was rear-ended by a semi-truck,” Manley said. “Mrs. Reid has a broken nose, broken back and broken neck. Lana has a neck injury and facial lacerations. Both Mrs. Reid and Lana are conscious, can feel their extremities, and according to doctors their injuries are non-life threatening,” Manley continued. “Sen. Reid has been to the hospital and appreciates the support he and his family are receiving from Nevadans and his colleagues in the Senate.”
Senator Reid was in a meeting about the current health-care legislation when he received word about the accident. He immediately went to Inova Fairfax Hospital to be with his wife and daughter, but returned to the health care meeting after being assured their injuries were not life-threatening. Addressing the fact that Reid returned to the meeting, Manley said:
“Let’s be clear, for those who may know, he loves that woman more than life itself. But she’s in good hands at the hospital and [he] felt the need to come back and work on this piece of legislation and he’ll be heading back to the hospital as quickly as possible. I just spoke to him, and he’s looking forward to getting back to the hospital.”
According to The Washington Post, the driver of the truck was Alan W. Snader, 59, of Ohio, who was not injured and was charged with reckless driving.
Photo: Senator Harry Reid, his wife Lana and Dick Cheney in 2004 (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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