Hanging with George W. Bush can be dangerous. On Monday, while Bush was running around Austin’s Town Lake, a trailer loaded with construction debris lost control and tipped right in front of him, sending debris onto the jogging path. Bush suffered minor bruises and cuts to his right leg and hip. However, his bodyguard, Roscoe Hughey, 39, an employee of the Texas Department of Public Safety, was sent to Brackenridge Hospital for treatment and later released. Bush was treated at the scene and left for New Hampshire later that day.
According to the Austin Police Dept., the Longhorn Disposal truck, driven by Willis Lee Smith, was 50,000 pounds over the legal limit of 80,000 pounds and had faulty brakes. Smith was given two tickets for the incident; Waste Management Inc., the Houston company which owns Longhorn, was not issued a citation by the police department.
This was the second mishap in the past 17 months to befall someone unfortunate enough to be treading the trails with Bush. In June of last year, Steve Brodner, a New York-based political cartoonist, came to Austin to work on a piece for Esquire magazine. During his visit, Brodner decided to join Bush on one of his regular runs around Town Lake. But Brodner didn’t count on Austin’s wicked summertime heat. Within a few miles, Brodner started to feel ill. And like Hughey, he too, was sent to Brackenridge for treatment.
Linda Edwards, Bush’s press spokesperson, denied that it’s dangerous to run near Bush. In fact, she says, “There’s probably more risk in running against the governor.” Whatever the campaign’s spin, the incident brings a whole new meaning to the words “running mate.” Henceforth, perhaps Bush’s companions should consider asking for hazard pay.
This article appears in November 5 • 1999.