First Congressional District candidate Joyce Marie Griggs' campaign bus rolled over in the Southbridge subdivision while she was campaigning on Wednesday, according to the Chatham County Police Department.
Spokeswoman Betsy Nolen said officers responded to the incident around 11:30 a.m. to find a small bus flipped over, emblazoned with “Griggs for Congress” on the back.
Griggs, reached by telephone Wednesday afternoon, said the bus flipped after she hit a spot of uneven road shoulder near the intersection of Southbridge Boulevard and Hunter Lane. When she overcorrected, the bus flipped on its side, she said.
Credit: Courtesy Joyce Griggs
Credit: Courtesy Joyce Griggs
Griggs said she was driving the bus with one passenger inside at the time, her granddaughter, who was campaigning with her. No injuries were reported, and Griggs was in good spirits Wednesday afternoon after the wreck.
“We had angels watching over us,” Griggs said.
No citations were issued to Griggs, Nolen said, since the only vehicle involved was the bus. Griggs said the bus itself suffered “a few bruises.”
“My daughter made a joke out of it. She said I ‘G.I. Joe crawled’ my way out that bus and said ‘I’ve got to get to my next appointment.’”
Griggs said her seat belt locked up and she had to crawl to get out, saying she was channeling her previous military training while doing so.
“It reminded me of some of those low-crawls and landing falls and maneuvers I used to have to do,” Griggs said. “I said, the Army trained me well. But it’s great to be able to laugh about it. A little bus rollover won’t stop me.”
Griggs’ bus, a shortened school bus with her face on the side, was a purchase she made herself for her campaign, she told Savannah Morning News previously.
Griggs is currently campaigning in hopes of winning the runoff for the Democratic nomination for the 1st District Congressional seat against Savannah lawyer Wade Herring. Griggs previously ran for the post against longtime Republican Rep. Buddy Carter in 2020, but lost.
Will Peebles is the enterprise reporter for Savannah Morning News. He can be reached at wpeebles@gannett.com and @willpeeblessmn on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: First Congressional District candidate crashes campaign bus in Savannah, no injuries reported
The Latest
Featured
