John Bryson, U.S. Commerce Secretary, cited in Calif. hit-and-run

Updated at 8:52 a.m. ET

(CBS News) U.S. Secretary of Commerce John Bryson has been cited in a felony hit-and-run case after allegedly crashing a Lexus into two vehicles in California Saturday evening, Los Angeles police have confirmed.

According to the written statement by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Bryson, 68, was allegedly behind the wheel of a Lexus that rear-ended another vehicle waiting for a train to pass in the city of San Gabriel at around 5:05 p.m. PT. The statement says Bryson spoke with the three males in the other car, then allegedly drove away, hitting their Buick again in the process.

Bryson was then "found alone and unconscious behind the wheel of his vehicle," after allegedly causing another accident in the neighboring city of Rosemead about five minutes later.

Police say that while Bryson has now been formally cited in the hit-and-run, it will be up to the district attorney's office to decide whether formal criminal charges should be filed.

Only minor injuries were reported in the other vehicles involved in both accidents.

According to a spokeswoman for the Commerce Department, Bryson was admitted to hospital but released after the accidents.

"He has sustained no injuries and the investigation is ongoing," spokeswoman Jennifer Friedman told CBS News.

Neither the Commerce Department nor the White House offered any further comment on the incident.

David Axelrod, senior adviser to President Obama's re-election campaign, didn't provide further details on "CBS This Morning" Monday.

"This news broke overnight, so I don't really have anything to contribute to that. Obviously it's concerning, but, you know, I'm not going to comment because I don't know any of the details," he said.

Watch the full interview with Axelrod
Axelrod: Obama understands economy needs help

According to the police statement, which said the investigation was still in its preliminary stages, there were no signs that drug or alcohol use played a role in the crashes.

CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker reports that it was the three men in the Buick, involved in the first accident, who called police as they followed Bryson's vehicle from the scene.

The Commerce Department's profile of Bryson, who has been the president's commerce secretary since October 2011, describes him as, "a key member of Mr. Obama's economic team working to implement the administration's top economic priority: accelerating job creation. He works to strengthen the economic recovery and U.S. competitiveness, and he serves as the voice for the business community in the President's Cabinet."

Bryson was in California to give a commencement address.

[rainbowroosie]

COVER UP!!!!!

[CommentSpam]

". . . there were no signs that drug or alcohol use played a role in the crashes."

You mean he drives like that when he's SOBER?!?!?

[democracy8]

For crying out loud, the man had a SEIZURE!

[CommentSpam]

uh, huh. surree he did.

Did his doctor announce that?

Or was it his publicst?

[nolb]

If someone has seizures they can not drive Legally! If he was drunk, he should not have been driving So he was still illegal! But he is one of the "chosen" few! So all rules do not count.

[democracy8]

"If someone has seizures they can not drive Legally!" Not necessarily true. Many conditions that make people have seizures can be dealt with medically. It is up to his doctors to make that determination, not you.

[inbethlehem]

Not half as bad as Cheney shooting someone's face off.

[WakeUpPeople001]

If he was drunk, problem.

If he truly had a seizure, revoke his driver's license for medical reasons.

[democracy8]

Juliatime: What school did you get a medical degree from that makes you such an expert? It could easily have been a minor seizure.

[wce95]

So under your plan, nobody with epilepsy should EVER be allowed to drive, even if they are controller their seizures with medication?

[democracy8]

The guy suffered a seizure (info just released) and all you sadsacks can do is use it as an excuse to spew your vitriol toward Obama. All the while you're imagining that you're medical and legal experts when half of you probably have little more than a GED.

You're simply only showing to the adults in the room how truly pathetic that YOU are, playing politics with a man's medical condition for your own partisanship. A medical condition, might I add, that almost anyone could experience at some point. You people are truly sad!

[democracy8]

As I "falsely claim"? First of all, it's not MY claim, it's what his doctors have reported. Secondly, what actual FACTS (not opinions) do you have to say that it's false? What school did you get your medical degree from, Miss Know-it-all? The law isn't going to be held 100% against someone for a medical condition beyond their control. And that's a FACT!

[wce95]

Juliatime, I am a conservative and our current administration makes me very unhappy. However, your position is one of complete and utter ignorance. A seizure absolutely could result in the behavior that causes a hit and run. Could the seizure excuse be a cover up? Sure. But it is also a more than plausible explanation. Without evidence to the contrary, we should accept this explanation and hope that doctors are able to treat whatever condition caused his seizure.

[weneedbigchanges]

Hit and run is not medical. That's a conscious decision. You guys must be dems so you can cover up what is really happening and make excuses because he is under Obomination administration. That's all I can figure. I think most people are not impressed by these excuses.

[KellinMN]

weneedbigchanges, please tell me your credentials that support your expert opinion that his actions couldn't have been medical? Oh you can't?

[ro257]

Doubt we will hear the real story like everything else that comes
from the Obama Admin

[Squire_James]

Since he's not a Kennedy, he might actually be in trouble here! At the very least, his judgement is in question (the rest could be attributed to irrational fear). A medical condition that serious is very unlikely to have surfaced without his prior knowledge, and if I had such knowledge I'd be a little leery of driving. I'm sure a Cabinet member can spring for a few taxis here and there!

It is unreasonable to bash Obama on this matter. There are better bludgeons that can be used for this purpose.

[bikeboat]

Very true!

[bikeboat]

Since he is not a Kennedy (or a Cheney or an Edwards) he may actually be in trouble here. Crooked politicians aren't unique to a single party.
A pre existant condition is a possibility, unlikely perhaps, but still a possibility. We just need to wait a bit and find out more before we make judgements about this man.

[swanman823]

I wonder why the Commerce Secretary wasn't driving a Government Motors Cadillac instead of an imported Lexus? So much for creating jobs by this administration. And of course he received preferential treatment, any high ranking official or relative or Obama's would have. But if he had a stroke or diabetic coma, he wouldn't have been released from the Hospital. Don't expect Eric Holder to investigate.

Just another example of this administration being asleep at the wheel.

[Beaulieu1331]

Did you know that most Hondas and Toyotas are 80% produced and manufactured in the United States?

[swanman823]

Yes Beaulieu1331, and they are manufactured in non-union right to work states so they are better than Detroit thug manufactured cars. Also, most of the high-end Lexus' are made in Japan. Still the Secretary of Commerce should be driving an American Brand.