Rep. Olver unhurt, but car in shop after crash

By Judy Kurtz - 05/23/12 06:46 PM ET

The good news is that Rep. John Olver (D-Mass.) wasn’t hurt after crashing his car over an embankment and into a stream on Tuesday. The bad news? His set of wheels might need a little TLC.

Olver tells The Daily Hampshire Gazette he was on his way to a meeting at a community college in his home state when he intended on legally passing another car on the road but suddenly changed his mind after eyeing an oncoming vehicle.

A local fire official who responded to the crash described to the paper a scene sounding like it was straight out of an action flick: “He was on Route 9 when he hit a guardrail and went over an embankment backwards into a small stream.”

The fire chief, Donald Lawton, added, “The car didn’t appear to have much damage, but I am sure there was damage underneath due to all the rocks the car went over.”

Olver told the Gazette, “I wasn’t hurt at all, but the car is in the body shop. We are waiting to hear how much damage it has.”

The lawmaker, 75, isn’t seeking reelection.

Olver’s communications director, Natalie Blais, tells ITK that the congressman is fine, and says, “Anyone who knows my boss knows he’s grateful for everyone’s concern and he really just wants to get back to work.”