Ben Carson Interrupts Campaigning As Staffer Dies In Iowa Van Crash

  • by: Alan Duke

Ben Carson interrupted his presidential campaign Tuesday after a van carrying several volunteers and staff slid off an icy highway and crashed in western Iowa, killing a 25-year-old worker.

Carson, who was campaigning in South Carolina, immediately flew to Omaha, Nebraska, to where staffer Braden Joplin had been airlifted for treatment. Joplin was pronounced dead several hours later.

"One of the precious few joys of campaigning is the privilege of meeting bright young men and women who are so enthusiastic about their country that they will freely give of their time and energy to work on its behalf," Carson said in a statement posted on his website Tuesday evening. "America lost one of those bright young men today. I had the privilege of knowing Braden Joplin personally, and am filled with a deep and profound sadness at his passing."

Three campaign volunteers in the van were treated for injuries at a hospital and released, Carson said. The vehicle "hit a patch of ice and flipped on its side where it was struck by another vehicle," Carson said.

Jolpin Facebook pic.jpg

Joplin, who worked at the Texas Tech University Student Union, was from Midland, Texas, according to his Facebook profile. He posted this photo with an unidentified campaign volunteer from Iowa just four days before his death.


  Alan Duke

Editor-in-Chief Alan Duke co-founded Lead Stories after ending a 26-year career with CNN, where he mainly covered entertainment, current affairs and politics. Duke closely covered domestic terrorism cases for CNN, including the Oklahoma City federal building bombing, the UNABOMBER and search for Southeast bomber Eric Robert Rudolph. CNN moved Duke to Los Angeles in 2009 to cover the entertainment beat. Duke also co-hosted a daily podcast with former HLN host Nancy Grace, "Crime Stories with Nancy Grace" and hosted the podcast series "Stan Lee's World: His Real Life Battle with Heroes & Villains." You'll also see Duke in many news documentaries, including on the Reelz channel, CNN and HLN.

Read more about or contact Alan Duke

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