Former Rep. Madison Cawthorn believed to be Florida driver who crashed into highway patrolman
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A video posted to social media reports to show former North Carolina congressman Madison Cawthorn on the side of a Florida interstate after a wreck.
In the video, posted to Twitter and TikTok, user Alethea Shapiro said she had been subject to a car that was tailgating her along Interstate 75 in Collier County, Florida.
She said, moments later, that vehicle crashed into a Florida Highway Patrol cruiser, causing significant damage to both vehicles.
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Shapiro said that the person that came out of the vehicle with the front-end damage was Cawthorn.
Florida Highway Patrol confirmed a crash at that time and location, but did not identify the person cited, other than to say that it was a “28-year-old from Cape Coral (Florida)”, which corresponds with Cawthorn’s age and current home.
The crash happened in a construction zone, according to Florida troopers. They additionally said that a trooper was injured and was treated at a local hospital.
Political figures in North Carolina said they have seen the video and believe it to be Cawthorn.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that Madison Cawthorn is on the side of the road talking to that state trooper,” said Michele Woodhouse, who was one of several candidates that ran against Cawthorn in the 2022 Republican Primary for North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District.
Even though authorities in Florida have not officially identified Cawthorn as the person cited, the video — which has been viewed more than 5 million times — has been enough to bring up the former representative’s controversial one term serving western North Carolina.
That term for Cawthorn also had its share of legal issues, including two separate incidents where he reportedly brought a gun to airports in Asheville and Charlotte, along with numerous speeding violations.
After losing the 2022 Republican Primary to Chuck Edwards — who himself went on to serve as representative — Cawthorn moved to Florida.
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Democrat Moe Davis, who ran against Cawthorn in 2020 general election, said this latest incident, if Cawthorn was involved, was not much of a surprise.
“For him, I think going to Congress was more about celebrity than service, and it’s apparent,” said Davis. “He closed many of the district offices here.”
Queen City News has reached out to Cawthorn for a comment. He has not responded or commented on social media about the reported incident or his reported involvement as of Tuesday evening.
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