Carson Campaign Volunteer Dies After Being Involved in Car Crash (UPDATED)

(UPDATES BELOW) Staffers for Ben Carson‘s campaign in Iowa were involved in a car crash today and were immediately brought to hospitals.

A statement from the Carson campaign says that a van being driver by a staffer, with three campaign volunteers as passengers, when the van hit a patch of ice, flipped on its side, and got hit by another car.

The staffer and two of the passengers are at the Cass County Memorial Hospital, while another passenger is being brought to a trauma center in Omaha.

In response, Carson has suspended all campaign activity today. The candidate spoke with the family of the volunteer going to Omaha and will travel there later today.

One Carson campaign official told The Daily Beast, “Recognizing speculation can run rampant at times like these, fortunately we have a leader in Dr. Carson who has dealt with life and death challenges his entire career.”

UPDATE –– 7:38 pm EST: The volunteer who went to the trauma center has died, according to multiple reports.

UPDATE –– 9:30 pm EST: Carson’s campaign put out this statement on the death of volunteer Braden Joplin:

"Dr. Ben Carson's Statement on the Passing of Campaign Volunteer Braden Joplin" pic.twitter.com/RFICIVHnXc

— Colin Campbell (@BKcolin) January 20, 2016

Carson also tweeted out a photo he took with Joplin:

Rest In Peace Braden Joplin. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. pic.twitter.com/p87TCnD44p

— Dr. Ben Carson (@RealBenCarson) January 20, 2016

[h/t Bradd Jaffy]
[image via Shutterstock]

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Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac