Pinellas Cruiser Hits Sen. Tim Kaine’s Press Bus in St. Pete

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A snafu on Interstate 375 Saturday night resulted in damage to a bus in Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Tim Kaine’s motorcade, but no injuries.

According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the fender bender occurred around 9:15 p.m. Saturday after Kaine’s appearance at St. Petersburg’s State Theatre with rocker Jon Bon Jovi. The sheriff’s office was helping the U.S. Secret Service with Kaine’s motorcade at the time.

Deputies say the motorcade entered I-375 from 8th Street North, driving in the curb lane. At that time an unrelated vehicle was stopped in the middle lane by a deputy to allow the motorcade to get on the interstate.

As the deputy kept the vehicles stopped, another deputy in the median lane stopped next to him, causing Deputy Alexander Ellis to stop,” an email from the sheriff’s office said. “Deputy (Wayne) Wagner, who was traveling in the median lane behind Deputy Ellis, did not see Deputy Ellis' cruiser stopping and swerved towards the middle lane in an attempt to avoid contact with Deputy Ellis' cruiser."

Deputies say the front bumper of Wagner’s cruiser hit the rear passenger side of Ellis’ cruiser. That caused Wagner’s cruiser to enter the middle lane, and curb lane where it ultimately hit the bus. The bus was carrying members of the press, the email said.

No injuries were reported. The bus sustained minor damage, but was able to go on its way. Ellis’ cruiser suffered minor damage and Wagner’s had to be towed back to the sheriff’s office, the email said.

No further information is available at this time.

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