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| Photo Credit: AP. |
Republican Rep. Jackie Walorski of Indiana has died in a fatal auto crash in Elkhart County, Indiana.
Three other persons also died in the deadly crash.
58-year-old
Walorski and two other passengers were heading south on state Route 19 when a
car heading north left and collided with the Walorski’s car, Washington
Examiner quoted a CBS affiliate in South Bend, Indiana.
Walorski,
Emma Thomson, 28, who was the congresswoman’s communication director and Zachery
Potts, a 27-year-old aide to the congresswoman all traveling in the same
vehicle south, died in the encounter, according to Washington Examiner.
The driver
and sole occupant of the vehicle traveling north, 56-year-old Edith Schmucker
also died in the accident.
A statement
shared by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) about the accident from
the congresswoman’ office reads.
"Dean
Swihart, Jackie's husband, was just informed by the Elkhart County Sheriff's
office that Jackie was killed in a car accident this afternoon," according
to Washington Examiner. "She has returned home to be with her Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers. We
will have no further comment at this time."
Why did Walorski join politics?
Walorski joined
partisan politics in 2004, running and winning an open seat in Indiana’s House
of Representatives. In 2010, she ran against Democratic Rep. Joe Donnelly but
lost narrowly 48%-47%, Washington Examiner reported.
When did Walorski win U.S. House seat?
In 2012,
Walorski won northwest Indiana House seat as Donnelly moved to the Senate. She
was a member of the House Armed Services, Budget, and Veterans Affairs
committees, according to the conservative website.
Walorski
became the top Republican lawmaker on the House Ethics Committee in January
2021.
In a
statement Wednesday House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) praised her
contributions to the House proceedings but expressed sorrow at her demise.
“I am devastated
and saddened to learn about the tragic passing of my dear friend Jackie
Walorksi and two of her staffers. Jackie was an instrumental member of our
conference, serving as a member of my deputy whip team for several years. She
was a champion for the people of Indiana, and she will be remembered for her
kindness, tenacity, and commitment to helping others," Scalise said,
Washington Examiner reported. "Jackie and her staffers died serving her
constituents. They will be missed, and our nation will miss their service. My
prayers are with Jackie’s loving husband Dean, her entire family, and the
families of both of her staffers.”