North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore and state Rep. David Willis, both Republicans, were traveling in a vehicle on Thursday that was repeatedly rammed by another car.
The incident occurred as they were traveling from Wilson to Raleigh on Interstate 87, according to WTVD-TV.
The pair had attended several events in Wilson during the day. After their events wrapped up, they headed back to the capital in an unmarked Chevrolet Tahoe, The News & Observer reported.
The car was driven by a General Assembly police officer. Moore’s deputy chief of staff was also in the vehicle.
Moore recounted the harrowing crash in an interview with The News & Observer.
“Imagine this: We’re … coming in at decent highway speeds when a car — bam! — comes up behind us and hits us once,” Moore said.
“I was like, ‘What the hell is that?’ Bam, hits us again, bam, hits us a third time.”
Moore said he immediately thought to himself, “This isn’t good.”
“We’d been hit three or four times, clearly intentionally,” he said.
The speaker’s driver pursued the other motorist, who stopped several miles down the road and was arrested.
The suspect, identified as James Matthew Brodgen, has been hit with multiple charges, including driving while impaired.
None of the four in the Tahoe was hurt in the incident, but Brogden was treated at a hospital before being booked into jail, according to WTVD.
Moore said at the speeds the two cars were going, the situation could have gotten out of control.
“I’m really lucky I had somebody who’s a retired trooper, a police officer, driving the vehicle,” he said. “It could have gone south really fast.”
He said he did not think he was specifically targeted by Brogden.
The incident occurred as police in New Jersey continue to search for the killer of a city councilwoman who was shot to death in what police called a “targeted” attack in early February.
Two Republican lawmakers have been murdered in the Garden State this month.
