Walz was uninjured after some vehicles near his car crashed in Milwaukee

WASHINGTON (AP) – Several cars with a license plate carrying Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz crashed on their way from the airport to a campaign stop in Milwaukee on Monday, but Walz was not injured.

President Joe Biden called and spoke to Walz a short time later while the president was on his way to a separate campaign stop in Pittsburgh with Vice President Kamala Harris. Harris’ campaign said she also spoke to her running mate by phone after the accident and that she was not injured.

According to the Harris campaign, the crash involved cars near the rear of the motor vehicle. Walz, who is also the governor of Minnesota, rode closer to the front.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash, which happened shortly before 1 p.m. local time and resulted in minor injuries.

The White House said Harris was informed of the collision and spoke with Walz to check on him and the staff. He is expected to provide updates throughout the day.

One traveling pool staff member who was in a van carrying reporters was injured and treated by medics, according to a traveling reporter’s pool report on Walz Motorway, which wrote that the passengers “were thrown violently forward as our van collided with the one in front of us and was struck from behind.”

After that, the van carrying the reporters stayed on the side of the road for several minutes.

Some reporters had scratches and bruises, and one had a bloody nose. Another feared he had a concussion and initially wanted to take him to urgent care – but eventually got into a new van to accompany the rest of the press to the event.

According to the pool report, everyone who wanted to be checked by a paramedic was evaluated.

The accident happened after Wisconsin Democratic Rep. Gwen Moore greeted Walz and his wife, Gwen, at the airport. The trio hugged, chatted and posed for a photo before heading to the event in the car.

Monday’s Labor Day campaign stops were Walz’s first Harris-Walz campaign charters. It has American flag stickers, the words Harris-Walz and “A New Way Forward”.