2 officers injured in Obama motorcade accident in Florida

WASHINGTON – Two Miami police officers were injured Wednesday while participating in President Barack Obama’s motorcade in Florida, police said. Neither of the injuries was life-threatening.

The Miami Police Department said Sgt. Rufus Devane, 42, and Sgt. Santiago Cruz, 49, were travelling on Interstate 95 when they were involved in a crash while approaching an onramp. A preliminary investigation indicated an abandoned vehicle on the shoulder of the road may have contributed to the crash, though the investigation is not complete, police said.

The two officers were brought to a local hospital, where tests were under way to determine the severity of their injuries, police said. Both officers have been with the department for about two decades.

Obama’s motorcade was returning to Miami’s international airport after two Democratic fundraisers the president held Wednesday evening in Miami Beach, Fla. Obama’s itinerary wasn’t affected. Obama left Miami on a return flight to Washington ahead of schedule.

The White House and U.S. Secret Service had no immediate comment.

This isn’t the first time Obama’s motorcade has been involved in an accident in Florida. In September 2012, Bruce St. Laurent of the Jupiter, Fla. police department was struck and killed by a pickup truck in West Palm Beach, Fla., where Obama was travelling for a campaign stop.