A police officer was critically injured Friday night when two law enforcement vehicles collided while escorting Vice President J.D. Vance\u2019s motorcade in Maryville, Tennessee, officials said. The crash, about 17 miles south of Knoxville, involved a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper and a Maryville Police Department motorcycle officer. Both were participating in the security detail for the vice president, who was in the area for a fundraiser at Blackberry Farm in Walland.<\/p>\n
Jason Pack, communications director for the Tennessee Department of Safety, said one of the ambulances assigned to the motorcade stopped immediately to provide medical aid. The city later confirmed that the injured officer was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center and remains in critical condition. Maryville Police Chief Tony Crisp urged the community to keep the officer and family in their prayers as they await updates.<\/p>\n
Initial statements from state officials said the trooper involved had not been transported to a hospital. However, the City of Maryville later clarified that both the state trooper and the motorcycle officer were taken for evaluation and treatment. Authorities have not released the trooper\u2019s condition, and neither officer had been publicly identified as of publication time. The Tennessee Highway Patrol has opened an investigation into the cause of the collision.<\/p>\n
Katherine Pierce, the Secret Service\u2019s resident agent in charge in Knoxville, said the agency is monitoring the situation and noted that the vice president\u2019s motorcade continued without interruption. \u201cThe safety and movement of our protectees were not impacted by this incident,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Vance sharply criticized Democrats in a Thursday interview, accusing them of \u201cinflicting pain on Americans all for nothing\u201d after Congress voted to reopen the federal government following the longest shutdown in U.S. history. He said the 43-day shutdown exposed the extent of far-left opposition to the administration. Vance argued Democrats caused stress for troops, disrupted air travel, and endangered family benefits \u201cfor literally nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vance said Democrats\u2019 motivation was political sabotage, claiming they were willing to \u201cburn the entire country down in order to get Trump.\u201d He argued the final funding agreement was identical to one Democrats rejected six weeks earlier. Vance added that moderate Democrats privately admitted their party\u2019s strategy was \u201ccrazy.\u201d The legislation passed the House 222\u2013209 with six Democrats joining Republicans. Trump called the deal a message that the administration would not \u201cgive in to extortion.\u201d<\/p>\n
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