Commerce Secretary takes medical leave after hit-and-run

Commerce Secretary John Bryson said on Monday night he is taking an indefinite leave of absence to deal with health issues, after officials said he had a seizure while driving on Saturday and was involved in two traffic collisions. Police officials in Southern California found Bryson unconscious at the second accident scene, reports say. The Cabinet member was taken to the hospital where he had no reported injuries.

Bryson’s leave was announced after 10 p.m. on Monday night after a day of confusion about his medical condition and about the collisions that led to the citation for felony hit-and-run. In a memo released to reporters, Bryson wrote, “I notified President Obama this evening that effective immediately I am taking a medical leave of absence so I can focus all of my attention on resolving the health issues that arose over the weekend.” Bryson’s second in command, Rebecca Blank, will be the acting secretary in his absence. Blank has served in that capacity before, filling in after former secretary Gary Locke became ambassador to China. The White House released a short statement and said that “President Obama’s thoughts are with Secretary Bryson and his family during this time.”