The Virginia woman whose vehicle was rear-ended by Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman in Maryland in June still is reportedly recuperating from the car crash that also sent Fetterman and his wife, Gisele, to the hospital.
In a statement through her lawyer, Jennifer Campbell, 62, said she “seeks to maintain her privacy” as she heals from her unspecified injuries, the Baltimore Sun reported last week.
But, through her lawyer, Campbell said she also believed it was important to come forward in the aftermath of the collision with the senator.
“I think it’s important to recognize that I’m a real human being, and this crash left me with real injuries,” she said in the statement to the Sun.
Campbell has retained Andrew K. Thomas, a Virginia attorney, to help her pursue a personal injury claim, the Sun reported.
“We’re handling it like we would with any other” case, by making an insurance claim, Thomas told the Sun.
Neither Thomas nor a spokesperson for Fetterman returned requests for comment Friday.
Fetterman was found “at fault” for the crash that took place near Hancock, Md., the morning of June 9 — Fetterman and his wife’s 16th wedding anniversary. No charges have been filed. Maryland State Police said the junior senator was going “well over” the posted 70 mph speed limit before rear-ending Campbell’s vehicle.
Both vehicles — Fetterman’s Chevrolet Traverse and the woman’s Chevrolet Impala — were towed because of the damage, according to the police report.
Campbell said the crash caused her trunk to be compressed into the car’s backseat, the Sun reported. After the collision, Fetterman approached Campbell’s car and checked on her, she said.
The police report listed the extent of damage for both parties as “disabling.”
Fetterman and his wife were taken to a local hospital to be evaluated “out of an abundance of caution,” the senator’s spokesperson said at the time, and Fetterman was treated for a bruised shoulder.
In June, Fetterman called the collision “an unfortunate accident.”
“I’m relieved and grateful that there were no serious injuries,” he said in a statement. “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.”
The Pennsylvania senator has a history of risky driving behavior, according to state records. This year, he was ticketed for exceeding the speed limit in Westmoreland County by 34 mph.
After receiving that ticket in March, Fetterman was required by Pennsylvania to take a “driver’s improvement course,” the Washington Post reported, citing unidentified people it said had knowledge of the situation.
In addition, the senator’s aides have said Fetterman has texted and FaceTimed while driving, “prompting concerns among his staff and fears about riding with him,” the Post reported, citing three people with knowledge of staff discussions who spoke about internal conversations on the condition of anonymity.
