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South Carolina’s Katie Arrington Seriously Injured in Car Crash

Democrat Joe Cunningham has suspended campaign activities

South Carolina state Rep. Katie Arrington, shown here after voting in the primary on June 12, was moved out of intensive care on Wednesday while recovering from serious injuries in a car wreck a week ago. (Kathryn Ziesig/The Post And Courier via AP file photo)
South Carolina state Rep. Katie Arrington, shown here after voting in the primary on June 12, was moved out of intensive care on Wednesday while recovering from serious injuries in a car wreck a week ago. (Kathryn Ziesig/The Post And Courier via AP file photo)
By Simone Pathé
Posted June 23, 2018 at 10:12am

South Carolina state Rep. Katie Arrington, the GOP nominee in the 1st District, was seriously injured in a car accident Friday night and remained in critical but stable condition Saturday afternoon. 

Arrington defeated GOP Rep. Mark Sanford in a primary earlier this month. Her Democratic opponent, Joe Cunningham, tweeted Saturday morning that he’s suspending campaign activities until further notice.

“Katie sustained a fracture in her back and several broken ribs, as well as injuries that required Katie to undergo major surgery including the removal of a portion of her small intestine and a portion of her colon,” according to an update on her Twitter account Saturday morning.

She’s expected to undergo additional surgeries and remain hospitalized for two weeks, according to her Twitter account.

Arrington was supposed to undergo “another major surgical procedure” Sunday morning, according to a statement from her campaign Saturday afternoon.

Arrington and a friend had been driving south toward Hilton Head on Friday night on U.S. 17 when a car driving north in the southbound lane struck their car. Arrington was in the passenger seat. The driver of the other car was killed, the Charleston Post and Courier reported. 

Sanford offered his “thoughts and prayers” to Arrington on Twitter Saturday morning.

President Donald Trump, who endorsed Arrington on the afternoon of the primary, also sent thoughts and prayers.

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