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.

[Para-Ord.45]

ping

[Ron in Acreage]

Any guess on what he was drinking? I'm guessing Crown on the rocks or Chivas Regal.

[Capn TrVth]

[Howlin]

Oh, good gosh. We're going to see him on TV, I just KNOW it!

[Williams]

"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."

I truly feel compassion for this guy's problems, but wow we sure can be forgiving when it's a liberal dem, can't we? He has a mental disorder, past drug problem, now this - but just fine for Congress from a democrat district.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

After a bar maid at his favorite watering hole said he was drinking, I see the media supposedly now has his bar tab.

Daddy is in seclusion with no comment, methinks the cover up trail might even lead up to Fat Sweaty Teddy's involvement.

If in fact he lied to the LEO he had consumed no alcohol, Martha Stewart went to prison for giving false statements.

[OldFriend]

Tried to get their hands on the mother's finances.

There is no low too low for a Kennedy.

Tragically, they never seem to learn that living evil lives is not a good thing.

[Sender]

Ambien and similar sleep drugs can cause unusual behavior, such as sleep voting, and can impair memory later. And it certainly can cause a person to be impaired while driving. But you know, impaired is impaired. He almost hit a Capitol Police cruiser then wrecked into a barricade and was clearly disoriented. That's impaired. It doesn't matter if it was Ambien or Jack Daniels.

[Hildy]

In all fairness..there are many times when that's necessary. My point is that alcoholism runs on both sides of his family. And it IS a family disease.

[spunkets]

"You will lose your job if you don't drive him home immediately. And NO SOBRIETY TEST or you're out of here. Just do it, no more questions"!

That's a fed crime- obstruction of justice.

[ohioWfan]

Are you unaware that George W. Bush moved to Texas when he was two, and has lived most of his life there?

How is that a problem?

And his father lived in Midland for many years, and now lives in Houston.

Even if you succeed in saying GHW isn't a Texan, you can't do that with his son.

Nice try, though. Bash him whether it makes sense or not, eh?

[finnman69]

Driving While Kennedy

[Shelayne]

So, did he take this Ambien before he left the bar?

After the way the media went after Rush Limbaugh, I want to see them go after this Kennedy just as rabidly. (I can dream.)

Waiting, waiting... **tapping foot**

At this point, I am certain to wear out my shoes.

[technochick99]

have no memory of taking the wheel after taking the drug.

Perhaps, but he didn't claim he didn't remember taking the wheel.

[Democratshavenobrains]

If this was a Republican, Pelosi and Reid would already have had a press conference about it rubbing it in that this reflects on all Republicans. I wish our Congressmen weren't so gutless about it.

[stockstrader]

No question about it. If this had been a Republican,,,it would be getting much, MUCH more press coverage too!!!

[madison10]

Doesn't matter if it was drugs, or not. He would still be driving under the influence, or driving while impeded. Maybe it's just a *DWK (Driving While Kennedy, or is it Drunk While Kennedy?) ANYWAY the DWK would be the worst of his offenses.

*props to whomever thought that one up! LOL

[abigailsmybaby]

when the hammer's head flew off and hit Kennedy in the mouth.

Oh, to be that hammer head......to have been so lucky to hit a Kennedy in the mouth. Sigh...

[txrangerette]

Exactly, ohio. George W Bush went to high school at Andover in MA. He graduated from Yale and did an MBA at Harvard. Other than that, he has always lived in Texas from the age of 2. Elementary and Jr. High in Midland. Texas Air National Guard. Oil "Bidness" in Midland. Ran for Congress (but lost) in West Texas and the Panhandle. Lived in Dallas as TX Rangers Baseball owner. Governor of TX. Barbara and Jenna both graduated from Austin High School. Owns ranch near Crawford and loves that land with every fiber of his being.

[N. Theknow]

Perhaps, but he didn't claim he didn't remember taking the wheel.

He'll claim the Fifth about draining the fith.