US Commerce Secretary John Bryson has resigned following a series of hit-and-run vehicle accidents earlier in the month in California, which he blamed on a seizure, the White House said Thursday.
In a statement, US President Barack Obama said that he had accepted the resignation late Wednesday and thanked Bryson for his service.The 68-year-old, who took office in October, went on an open-ended medical leave June 11, dpa reported.
Bryson had been on private business in California on June 9 when he slammed into the back of a stopped car, got out of his vehicle, then got back in and hit the other car again. He continued driving and ran into another car. Police found him unconscious behind the wheel.
He was briefly hospitalized and treated for a reported seizure.In a resignation letter, he said his departure was "a consequence of a recent seizure and medical leave of of absence."
"I have concluded that the seizure I suffered on June 9 could be a distraction from my performance as secretary and that our country would be better served by a change in leadership of the department," he wrote.
Deputy Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank, who was acting head of the department since Bryson took leave, will continue as acting secretary until Obama names a successor.