Kennedy Blames Accident on Sleep Medicine

AP ^ | 5/4/06 | ANDREW MIGA

[Jean S]

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (news, bio, voting record) crashed his car near the Capitol early Thursday, and a police official said he appeared intoxicated. Kennedy said he had taken sleep medication and a prescription anti-nausea drug that can cause drowsiness.

Kennedy, D-R.I., addressed the issue after a spate of news reports. His initial statement said: "I consumed no alcohol prior to the incident."'

Later, however, he issued a longer statement saying the attending physician for Congress had prescribed Phenergan on Tuesday to treat Kennedy's gastroenteritis.

Kennedy said he returned to his Capitol Hill home on Wednesday evening after a final series of votes in Congress and took "prescribed" amounts of Phenergan and Ambien, another prescribed drug that he occasionally takes to fall asleep.

"Some time around 2:45 a.m., I drove the few blocks to the Capitol Complex believing I needed to vote," his second statement said. "Apparently, I was disoriented from the medication."

Kennedy appeared to be intoxicated when he crashed his Ford Mustand into a barrier on Capitol Hill early Thursday morning, said Louis P. Cannon, president of the Washington chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police.

Cannon, who was not there, said the officers involved in the accident were instructed by an official "above the rank of patrolman" to take Kennedy home.

No sobriety tests were conducted at the scene.

A letter written by a Capitol Police officer to Acting Chief Christopher McGaffin said Kennedy appeared to be staggering when he left the vehicle after the crash about 3 a.m. The letter was first reported by Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper.

Kennedy said he was late for a vote, officer Greg Baird said in the letter to McGaffin. Baird is acting chairman of the Capitol Hill chapter of the FOP police union. The last vote of the night had occurred almost six hours earlier.

Kennedy said he was driven home by Capitol police.

"At no time did I ask for any special consideration," he said. "I simply complied with what the officers asked me to do."

Kennedy, the son of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (news, bio, voting record), D-Mass., and his staff declined to discuss any further details of the accident. The congressman took part in House votes Thursday.

Capitol Police did not immediately return phone calls for comment. They issued a one-line statement saying they were investigating a traffic violation that occurred early in the morning at that location.

Baird wrote McGaffin that two sergeants who responded to the accident conferred with the watch commander and were ordered to leave the scene.

He said that after the officers left, Capitol Police officials gave Kennedy a ride home.

Kennedy spent time at a drug rehabilitation clinic before he went to Providence College. He has been open about mental health issues, including being diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

___

Associated Press writer Laurie Kellman contributed to this report.

[Mo1]

and that this will probably give Pat K an honor badge in the media and on the left.

It proves even more what hypocrites they are

[Hildy]

Let me tell you this, with 99.9% certainty. He was drunk. EVERY DRUNK at one time or another, or many times, uses the "I mixed drugs" defense to explain bad behavior. I know that for a fact. Believe me. It's the oldest one in the books. Ever alcoholic in the world knows what I'm talking about.

[Darlin']

Well, conveniently for Patches, since the DC police did not require him to take a sobriety test, the statement by the hostess at the Hawk and Dove is just that. It can't be proven now that he was no doubt drunk. Mighty convenient, indeed. Patches is an out of control punk, a disaster waiting to happen.

[OldFriend]

This is getting a tremendous amount of media attention. So there are no complaints about that. They are also mentioning his previous substance abuse issues. What they are NOT reporting, at least here in the NY metro area, is that he had a auto accident just weeks ago in Rhode Island.

Clearly this is a person who should NOT be driving under any circumstances.

If he had truly taken those two drugs in combination with alcohol he would be dead.

[RasterMaster]

http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=137974&format=

[Lx]

Yes, when I was an alky, Bombay Blue Safire martinis were my 'sleep medicine'.

[Hilltop]

I finally got it right, I was having a brain spasm. It was late, I was not drinking and the concrete barrier jumped out in front of my mind and shattered my ability to spell pedal.

[GOPologist]

Remember the bumper sticker: "I'd rather go hunting with Cheney than take a ride with Kennedy."(Paraphrased.)

[frogjerk]

Kennedy, D-R.I., addressed the issue after a spate of news reports. His initial statement said: "I consumed no alcohol prior to the incident."'

CLINTON: "It depends on what the definition of "prior" is..."

[Lucretia Borgia]

A chip off the old block. Just like Uncle Ted. Good thing he wasn't near a river with an aide in the car.

[doug from upland]

An officer cannot interfere with a representative on his way to a vote. Kennedy, however, may have a problem because he lied about being on his way to a vote. That is a crime. Doh. What am I thinking? He is a Kennedy. Let's just move along. Thanks goodness; at least there is no dead body.

[hattend]

BTTT

[veronica]

Kennedy Blames...

There is a word you never saw in any of the stories about Rush's problems with pills. He NEVER blamed anyone. Not the maid, not his doctors, nobody. He took responsibility.

[Mo1]

Patches many not be charged due to lack of evidence

But the PR will sting him, the Kennedy Family and the Democrats for years

[Freee-dame]

George W. Bush's DUI, 25 years earlier,

He was stopped for driving too SLOW on a country road. There was no crash involved, but the MSM made sure didn't like mentioning that. Possibly they never did and I only learned it here on FreeRepublic.

[ohioWfan]

I don't think that anyone in the MSM ever did tell the truth about that, Freee-dame.

And they won't tell the truth about THIS either. They'll let Kennedy slide. They'll defend him. They won't question his story.

They'll do their duty to the leftist destroyers of this nation as they always do.......

[dinoparty]

Chris Wallace, who has long known this guy, said on FoxNews that he had a bad childhood with Teddy as a Dad, which probably explains his behavior. I don't doubt that. My question: since when should we elect run-of-the-mill delinquents as congressmen?

[windcliff]

lol

[Ole Okie]

Hummm,he is bipolar.

Hmmmm, I doubt that Ambien is an FDA approved medication for bipolarness.

[Howlin]

Are you kidding? Details, please!