Former Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn was claimed by witnesses Monday to have crashed his car into a Florida Highway Patrol cruiser.
Alecia Shapiro wrote to X that she was heading south on Interstate 75 toward Miami in the left lane when an aggressive driver in a black sports car began following her.
“I accelerated forward and moved into the right lane in front of the tractor-trailer to pass the vehicle,” Shapiro said. ”[Five] After a few minutes, the highway came to a complete standstill. I swerved to the side to avoid anyone following me and slowly came to a stop.
“All of a sudden the car door opened and a man in a wheelchair rolled out,” she continued. “At the same time, I had to go around his car and I looked ahead and saw a police officer getting out of the car that had hit him, holding him by the neck in the left lane as well.”
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Former U.S. Representative Madison Cawthorn was allegedly involved in a car accident with a Florida Highway Patrol vehicle on Monday, April 15, 2024. (Alecia Shapiro/Local News X/TMX)
Shapiro identified Cawthorn as the driver and shared a video of him allegedly speaking with a state trooper.
“I pulled into the right shoulder lane, asked if everyone was okay, and stopped to call for help. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I thought of former Congressman Cawthorn. [sic] “It was a black car from North Carolina that attacked me in a road rage tantrum,” Shapiro wrote.
“The officer was quite startled and kept reaching for his neck, so I spoke to him to see if he was OK. He said he was OK and asked if I was a witness (I wasn’t. ) and I didn’t know what else to do so I gave it water.”
Shapiro said the officer thanked him for the stop.
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Witnesses said Cawthorn, 28, was the man driving the black sports car that rear-ended the state trooper. (Alecia Shapiro/Local News X/TMX)
“As I drove away, replaying the surreal scene in my head, I realized it was the same car driving erratically and aggressively behind and around me. It was incredibly scary and upsetting to watch.”
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, an FHP State Police vehicle was rear-ended on Interstate 75 at mile marker 60 in the Collier County construction zone around 4:30 p.m. Monday. The other vehicle was a 2021 Mercedes driven by a 28-year-old man from Cape Coral, Florida.
“The state trooper suffered minor injuries and was transported to an area hospital,” Lt. Greg Bueno said in a statement.
Bueno said the driver of the Mercedes was charged with violating Florida’s moveover law.
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“We can confirm that on April 15, 2024, at 4:30 p.m., an FHP State Police vehicle (Dodge Charger) was rear-ended at mile marker 60 on Interstate 75 in a construction zone in Collier County. Mercedes, Florida A 28-year-old male from Cape Coral, WA was driving,” Lt. Greg Bueno told FOX News Digital in a statement. (Alecia Shapiro/Local News X/TMX)
Cawthorn, 28, a former North Carolina 11th Congressman, currently lives in a $1.1 million home in Cape Coral, Florida, according to public records.
Once seen as a rising star in the Republican Party, Cawthorn’s tumultuous and short-lived tenure was controversial. He infamously claimed that he had been invited to an orgy at the Capitol, but later recanted this story after a meeting with then-House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
During his tenure, Cawthorn also faced allegations of insider trading and improper payments, and was detained for attempting to smuggle a handgun at an airport in North Carolina, but was not charged. He had previously been charged twice with driving on a revoked license.
Cawthorn lost the 2022 Republican primary to U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, RN.C., who won the general election.
When asked for comment, Cawthorn would not confirm or deny that he was the driver who struck the Florida Highway Patrol cruiser and referred further questions to his attorney.
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Mr. Cawthorn’s legal representative did not confirm or deny involvement in the accident.
“Mr. Cawthorn’s prayers are with the Florida Highway Patrol trooper involved in a motor vehicle accident on Monday,” the attorney told FOX News Digital.
