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Congressman Skelton injured in accident in Iraq

Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Missouri)
Official Photo, U.S. House of Representatives
Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Missouri)

By AP/KWMU

Baghdad, Iraq – Missouri Congressman Ike Skelton is recovering after he and two other congressmen were in an accident in Iraq on Saturday.

The military vehicle they were in overturned while trying to avoid an oncoming truck.

Skelton's chief of staff, Bob Hagedorn, says the 73-year old Democrat has complained of neck pain but that there's no reason to believe it's serious.

Republican Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania was flown to a military hospital in Germany for an MRI on his neck. Democrat Jim Marshall of Georgia was also in the vehicle but was not hurt.

The convoy was using the middle of the road, which is a common practice aimed at preventing an attack. Shortly after dark, an oncoming truck refused to yield. Marshall says the driver of the military vehicle tried to stop, and that it turned over.

The lawmakers had spent Thanksgiving with troops in Afghanistan before heading on to Baghdad to meet with troops there.

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