Michelle Obama in auto accident while campaigning in Iowa

Thank god no one was badly hurt apparently, but it's still scary.  From the WPO;

Hampton, Iowa--A campaign van carrying the wife of Senator Barack Obama collided with a motorcycle on a two lane country road in Central Iowa on Tuesday, sending the motorcyclist to the hospital.

Long story short: After the van started a left turn a motorcycle plowed into the left side of it. The motorcyclist was driving at high speed and the driver had passed many other vehicles on the left. Apparently he was trying to pass again when the van began to turn. No one in the van was hurt, although the van was totaled. The guy landed in some soft grass, but wasn't wearing a helmet. He had a cut on his head, but was conscious and lucid when taken to the hospital. The campaign rally was canceled because Michelle said it was not the time to campaign, but promised to return.

Update [2007-10-9 19:40:16 by PLS]: MSNBC just reported the story on Hardball.

•  Tip Jar

  Link,

  http://blog.washingtonpost.com/...

  by PLS on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 04:26:53 PM PDT

•  asdf

  Is George Clooney in Iowa?  :)

  by BDA in VA on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 04:27:12 PM PDT

  •  heh - took me a second n/t

    by Reel Woman on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 04:30:52 PM PDT

  •  Maybe,

    I thought he was going. But, if he was on the same campaign bus I am sure that would have gotten a mention.

    I just hope the Obama's don't decide to cut her involvement. She is a big asset, despite her flub the other day.

    by PLS on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 04:32:20 PM PDT

    •  No no

      I was just making a lame joke aboutGeorge's motorcycle accident in which he was also passing along the  side of a car and got hit.

      by BDA in VA on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 04:38:35 PM PDT

      •  Oh...Smacks forhead!

        I guess I missed that. I was on a trip the last 5 days and away from the net and the MSM.

        by PLS on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 04:41:30 PM PDT

•  God speed. I hope no one was injured.

  by lorelynn on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 04:27:29 PM PDT

•  Hope the link works,

  if it doesn't, just google Barack Obama under news and you will find the story on the first page.

  by PLS on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 04:29:15 PM PDT

•  oooh, geez

  hope he's ok.

  by Buffalo Girl on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 04:30:49 PM PDT

•  thank goodness nobody was hurt seriously

  a motorcyclist was killed recently on our road in an accident just like this.  

  by unterhausen on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 04:31:09 PM PDT

  •  I don't know if anyone here is a motorcyclist----

    but that's a dangerous pastime.  There is at least one motorcycle death every 1-2 weeks in our local paper.  We always comment on it.  Motorcycling has increased in popularity and so many novices are out there living dangerously.
     It sounds like this guy was riding recklessly also.  I am glad Michelle and the others appear not to be seriously hurt.  I am sure it was very unsettling.

    by dotster on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 04:44:31 PM PDT

    •  The guy sounds like he was very reckless...

      ...and not wearing a helment means he's a dumbass to begin with.  I have a friend who rides motorcycles, and the getup he wears is probably literally bulletproof.

      by Geotpf on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 04:48:01 PM PDT

      •  As I always tell my kid...

        when she goes out on her bicycle or when we see someone riding a bicycle or motorcycle without a helmet...

        Expensive head, expensive helmet.
        Cheap head, no helmet.

        If you value your head, wear a damn helmet!

        by madame defarge on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 05:15:50 PM PDT

      •  person on our road was reckless too

        whenever someone is driving a motorcycle recklessly near me, my foot is never far from the brakes, and I'm hoping that when they impale themselves on a car, that it's not mine, and they don't hurt any innocents.  Motorcycles are dangerous enough -- most drivers don't even seem to see them.

        The friends of the guy that died on our road put a cross up where the crash was, across the road from the driveway of the other person in the crash.  I hope they don't insist on keeping it there, the other driver is a victim as well.

        by unterhausen on Wed Oct 10, 2007 at 02:22:04 PM PDT

    •  We went through this in the seventies too

      when there were all the gas lines. Motorcycles get a heckofalot better gas mileage than cars and trucks so a lot of inexperienced riders buy them and go kind of crazy. There's no real good answer to it, except licensing, training and experience. The ones who live through it will be good defensive riders.

      by dougymi on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 05:02:24 PM PDT

  •  Killer: oncoming left turning vehicle colliding

    with a motorcycle, the motorcycle always loses. This one sounds lucky, not so my late friend riding with the veterans in the Memorial Day Run to the Wall. RIP.

    by threesmommy on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 05:07:16 PM PDT

    •  So very sorry to hear that. n/t

      by dharmafarmer on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 05:40:55 PM PDT

•  That is scary

  and the Secret Service has to be a bit unnerved too.  Michelle Obama made the right call to reschedule.  Thank Goodness everyone is OK.  The motorcyclist is blessedly lucky to still be alive.  

  by Pithy Cherub on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 04:31:13 PM PDT

  •  Yes,

    I thought it was a classy move. The campaign's main concern seemed to be with the motorcyclist, even though he was driving recklessly.

    by PLS on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 04:35:47 PM PDT

•  Thank goodness there were no serious injuries.

  Lately I've seen more motorcyclists driving recklessly than ever before.  They zip past you on the freeway doing 90 MPH on the dotted white stripes between cars.  Essentially they're playing Russian Roulette everytime they encounter a bigger heavier vehicle.  Why do they do it; don't they understand the risk of becoming brain-dead?  Perhaps I've answered my own question.

  by Greasy Grant on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 04:31:42 PM PDT

  •  That's the thrill

    by Salo on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 04:36:22 PM PDT

  •  Snark: We need organ donors, anyway. /snark nt

    by Dar Nirron on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 04:41:41 PM PDT

    •  I heard that's what doctors call

      motorcyclists------organ donors.

      by dotster on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 05:02:09 PM PDT

      •  As my hubby says: "Donorcycles!"

        I've been sitting in traffic & had them zip between cars, on the shoulder, etc.

        There are PLENTY of responsible cyclers - the vast majority I think.  But the irresponsible ones are the cycles you remember - AND the ones who cause accidents.

        by countrycat on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 05:05:20 PM PDT

        •  Organs on wheels??

          by Salo on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 06:30:35 PM PDT

  •  I Was Driving South on I-65 Several Months Ago

    and a guy on a motorcycle flew past me (I was going a touch over 70 MPH) doing a wheelie.  I couldn't believe it.  He had to be going AT LEAST 85-90 MPH on one wheel.  I thought I was going to see someone die right in front of me, but he dropped back onto his front tire and soon disappeared from my sight.  

    by karateexplosions on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 06:07:50 PM PDT

•  Thank goodness no one was hurt. eom

  by Geekesque on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 04:34:07 PM PDT

•  The Limbaugh spin

  "Of course! The van was making a left turn. It's a pathology with these liberals. Even their driving is ideological and they simply don't care about the damage they cause."

  by Red Bean on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 04:34:57 PM PDT

  •  That's scary...

    ...you seem to channel him pretty well.

    Just don't do it in front of your friends, or they won't stay your friends for long.

    by mistersite on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 05:04:17 PM PDT

    •  It's great source of shame

      But I'm getting therapy.

      by Red Bean on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 05:25:01 PM PDT

•  the van was totalled?

  by Salo on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 04:35:30 PM PDT

  •  Yup,

    that's what the paper said, "totaled".

    by PLS on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 04:45:00 PM PDT

    •  and no injuries?

      by Salo on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 04:59:36 PM PDT

•  Glad they're ok...

  ... but how does one total a van with a motorcycle?!?!

  by Archangel on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 04:36:34 PM PDT

  •  F = m x v

    by bodymind on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 04:41:43 PM PDT

    •  Oops.

      F = ma. It's been a long day.

      by bodymind on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 04:43:32 PM PDT

      •  I drive an MXV.

        Those things are huge.

        by Inland on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 05:25:31 PM PDT

  •  I don't know,

    especially because I thought it takes an Insurance company to determine if a vehicle has been totaled.

    by PLS on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 04:47:22 PM PDT

  •  the term may be elastic.

    by Salo on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 05:01:00 PM PDT

  •  How does one total a van with a motorcycle?

    

    by cmnh on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 05:02:04 PM PDT

    •  LOL

      by annefrank on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 05:21:25 PM PDT

    •  I didn't know Limbaugh was a motorcyclist! nt

      by Calamity Jean on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 05:50:44 PM PDT

      •  Mr Creosote lives!

        by Salo on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 06:30:05 PM PDT

  •  Friend of mine totalled an S-10 hitting a deer.

    They're a lot softer than a speeding piece of metal. It's not surprising at all.

    by dougymi on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 05:04:40 PM PDT

  •  probably a pretty crappy van to start

    by Buffalo Girl on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 05:23:29 PM PDT

•  I can't count the number of times

  I've seen motorcyclists do that crap.

  by voltayre on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 04:43:20 PM PDT

•  Did she run over her first boyfriend?

  That would be a sign.

  by Inland on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 05:26:01 PM PDT

  •  heh

    I'm surprised it took 40 comments for that reference to appear.  Is it twisted that it was my very first thought when reading the article?

    by cardinal on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 06:00:24 PM PDT

    •  And it took a half an hour

      for anyone to comment.  Apparently we should be ashamed of ourselves.

      by Inland on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 07:06:28 PM PDT

•  Thank goodness Michelle and all are safe

  by annefrank on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 05:26:05 PM PDT