Congressional Candidate Heidi Kuhn Reveals Terrifying Injuries After Near-Fatal Crash Days Before Election

A Tennessee congressional candidate says she is lucky to be alive after a terrifying multi-vehicle crash left her with broken facial bones, severe bruising and whiplash just days before the November election.

Heidi Kuhn, 57, a mother of four and Democratic nominee for Tennessee’s 8th Congressional District, was traveling with her husband, Matt, when their vehicle was involved in a serious collision in Memphis on October 23.

The crash happened shortly before 7:30 p.m. on Interstate 240 near Walnut Grove, involving three vehicles and leaving several people injured.

According to the campaign, both Heidi and her husband were taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital for treatment. They were initially reported to be in non-critical condition.

But the injuries were more serious than the initial announcement suggested.

In a video posted on social media, Kuhn revealed that she had suffered a broken nose, a fractured maxilla (the upper jawbone) and whiplash. She described the experience as traumatic and said she and her husband were still shaken by what had happened.

The candidate later shared an update after being discharged from hospital, showing visible bruising to her face.

“We are doing better, but we’re still hurting and shaken,” she wrote, expressing gratitude that the injuries had not been worse.

She also said that seeing photographs of the damaged vehicle made it difficult to believe that she and her husband had survived without even more serious injuries.

The crash forced Kuhn to temporarily step away from campaign activities as she focused on recovering. Her campaign team thanked supporters for their messages and asked for privacy while the family dealt with the aftermath.

Kuhn previously served as Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk for eight years before entering the congressional race. She was challenging Republican incumbent David Kustoff in Tennessee’s 8th District.

The accident occurred less than two weeks before voters headed to the polls on November 3, adding an unexpected personal crisis to an already demanding election campaign.

Authorities’ preliminary crash report described a chain-reaction collision involving three vehicles. It did not establish that Kuhn was deliberately targeted, and there is no verified evidence that the crash was politically motivated.

For Kuhn and her family, the immediate priority was recovery. Despite the frightening injuries and the damage to their vehicle, she expressed gratitude that they had survived the ordeal.

Source:  PEOPLE