Harry Reid Injured in Exercising Accident, Expected to Make 'Full Recovery'
Outgoing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid suffered injuries while exercising at his Nevada home but is expected to make a "full recovery" and return to Washington on Tuesday, USA Today reported.
"A piece of equipment Senator Reid was using to exercise broke, causing him to fall and break a number of ribs and bones in his face," according to a statement issued by the Democratic leader's office. "Senator Reid will return to Washington this weekend and be in the office Tuesday as the Senate prepares to reconvene."
A spokesman, Adam Jentleson, told The Associated Press the accident was the result of a malfunction of an elastic exercise band, which broke and hit Reid in the face. The 75-year-old fell, struck part of the equipment and broke several bones near his right eye, Jentleson said. The Nevada senator also broke several ribs as he hit the floor.
Reid's security detail took him to a Henderson, Nevada, hospital. He was then transferred to the University Medical Center in Las Vegas, where he underwent further testing and is expected to spend the night, Reuters noted. Physicians found no bleeding in his brain or other internal bleeding.
The 114th Congress is set to convene on Tuesday, and Reid is bound to lose his position as Senate Majority Leader due to the Republican victory in the 2014 midterm elections. He is expected to be succeeded by Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, who will lead a GOP majority of 54, versus 44 Democrats and two independents.
Reid was first elected to the Senate in 1986 and became majority leader in 2007. The Nevada native is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was once an amateur boxer.
The senator has had a number of medical incidents in the last few years, Fox News noted.
In May 2011, he dislocated a shoulder and suffered a contusion above his left eye when he slipped after an early-morning run in rainy conditions. In October 2012, he was involved in a chain-reaction car crash, in which he suffered suffered rib and hip contusions.
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