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.

[RasterMaster]

Trashed&Thrashed, SkipperStrikesAgain, ASLEEPATTHEWHEEL

[EternalVigilance]

Patrick Kennedy: Living proof that Ted made it home at least one night in his life...

[fatima]

Well then he wasn't that out of it.Maybe they teach them these words at birth so matter how out of it, it's just natural to say.

[roses of sharon]

I always wonder why libs get upset when their guys are in a pickle, I mean who really cares?

Not the MSM, not their constituents, not the law, the gov, Republicans, or even the history books.

Their whining is totally unnecessary.

[Wil H]

"At no time did I ask for any special consideration," he said....

..after declaring myself a US CONGRESSMAN...

[toldyou]

Good one!

[Liberty Valance]

Patrick Kennedy Crashes Car Into a Capitol Hill Barrier

By ROBERT PEAR
Published: May 5, 2006
WASHINGTON, May 4 — Representative Patrick J. Kennedy crashed his car into a traffic barrier on Capitol Hill in the early morning hours on Thursday. He said he was apparently disoriented because he had been taking Ambien, the sleeping pill, and another medication.

Mr. Kennedy, a Rhode Island Democrat, said he drove to the Capitol at about 2:45 a.m. in the mistaken belief that he needed to vote. The House was not in session, having adjourned at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday.

[Wil H]

Patrick Kennedy: Living proof that Ted made it home at least one night in his life...

hilarious, though we should be weeping.

[Razz Barry]

Don't forget mom.

[fatima]

Thanks Liberty Valance,I hear he is Bipolar too and it is the spring-God bless him and I say that with my heart but someone get him the hell off the roads.

[loboinok]

"They shall in all cases, except treason, felony and breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any speech or debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other place." Everything in D.C. is a felony.

[Razz Barry]

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 must be the only person in America who doesn't have bipolar disorder. I think most of these people really have spoiled rotten brat disorder.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Honey Fitz was Rose's dad. He was no Kennedy.

[Don W]

Gadzooks, I'm spelling like a Kennedy under the influence, please insert peddle for petal.

It's worse than you think! It's PEDAL (a foot operated device used to mechanically alter the condition or response of a machine) as opposed to PEDDLE (to sell, or cause to be sold < see advertising >).

Then again, PETAL is the outermost part of a flower, so you may not be all wrong, if the flower is a STINKHORN.

[mountainfolk]

I have all the compassion for Kennedy that he and his RAT party dole out for Republicans. This same absence of an on the spot sobriety test would doom a Republican to immediate howls of corruption from the media and their RAT appendage. I believe this is the RAT culture of corruption they keep trying to project on to Republicans. Rep. Kennedy should step aside from his congressional duties until there is a full investigation of the maker of the pills, his doctors, himself, and those individuals involved in preventing the capitol police from doing their duty. And when we find the answer to those things, a committee must be appointed to investigate the investigators because they will all be RAT party flunkies and nothing they say can be trusted.

[AFreeBird]

Kennedy's doctor's records should be subpoenaed.

Yep, cause he could have been "doctor shopping" to get those "meds". And we all know how the dems like to go after people who Dr/Rx shop.

Just ask Rush.

Ol Patrick deserves nothing less.

[SMM48]

Sleep medication usually makes you sleep, not jump in your gas guzzling Mustang and head to Capitol Hill for a vote in the middle of the night. He was either drunk or needs to be under 24 hour psychiatric observation.

Relax! It was a six cylinder 'Stang. /sarc

[185JHP]

So much to despise in that bunch...

[SMM48]

Of course he's lying. It would be nice if they would investigate this and find a cocktail waitress or bartender that would admit to serving the guy liquor before he took off in his car. But knowing the Kennedy's these people are probably already ''SLEEPING WITH THE FISHES''!

ROFLMAO....but true!

[Hoodat]

Later, however, he issued a longer statement saying the attending physician for Congress had prescribed Phenergan on Tuesday to treat Kennedy's gastroenteritis

Phenergan is a favorite of heroin junkies. It boosts the effects of narcotics like dilaudid, demerol, percodan, etc. If he was taking phenergan, then he was also taking some type of narcotic. Guaranteed. Of course a little blood test administered by Capitol police could get to the bottom of this pronto.