Former congressman Madison Cawthorn was involved in a collision with a Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) cruiser on Monday, according to a post shared by driver Alethea Shapiro on the social media platform X (previously Twitter).
In her post, Shapiro reports that while driving on I-75 towards Miami at approximately 4:30 p.m., a black sports car started tailgating her.
Ignoring the aggressive behavior initially, she switched lanes to alleviate the situation. Minutes later, amidst traffic, she observed the same vehicle rear-ending an FHP cruiser.
In her post on X, Shapiro recounted the surprising sight of a man in a wheelchair emerging from the car. She later identified him as former Congressman Cawthorn from North Carolina.
Accompanying her post was a video, also shared on TikTok, capturing Cawthorn in his wheelchair by the highway shoulder. The footage depicted significant damage to Cawthorn’s vehicle’s front and the FHP cruiser’s rear.
Shapiro mentioned seeing Cawthorn expressing apologies multiple times. She stopped by and conversed with the trooper, confirming Cawthorn’s identity as the driver.
The FHP confirmed the incident, stating that an FHP vehicle was rear-ended by a 2021 Mercedes driven by a 28-year-old from Cape Coral. Public records suggest Cawthorn resides in Cape Coral.
The trooper sustained minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital. The crash investigation is ongoing.
Cawthorn gained national attention after his victory in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District race in 2020 at 25 years old. He lost his re-election bid in the 2022 Republican primary.
Leading up to the primary, Cawthorn had encounters with law enforcement for driving offenses, including speeding and driving with a revoked license.
Cawthorn, who uses a wheelchair due to a previous car accident at 18, has yet to comment on the recent incident.
#breakingnew 🚨🚨Former Republican Congressman Madison Cawthorne who was tailgating me, just rear ended a FL State Trooper‼️ Im SHOOK 🤯😡😳 I was driving on i75S towards Miami in the left lane and this black tinted sports car was tailgating me relentlessly. I accelerated ahead… pic.twitter.com/IfS2EUg1oC
— Alethea⸆⸉ (@Women2Dc) April 15, 2024
