"It seems clear that he’s not able to really communicate with people very well."
David Collins
State Senate President Martin Looney has issued a statement about last week's car crash that saw his colleague, Senator Andrew Maynard, hospitalized for four days.
In his statement, Looney said:
I am relieved that, apparently, the results of the accident were not more devastating. I pray for the speedy recovery for all parties involved and I look forward to Senator Maynard’s return to the Senate once the General Assembly is back in session.
Andy has made remarkable progress in recovering from his injury of July 2014. His recent car accident, while certainly a setback, will not undermine his commitment to serving his southeastern Connecticut constituents in the Senate.
Since his return to the Senate in January of 2015, Andy has been a consistent presence at the Capitol, increasingly able to participate in caucus discussions and with a recorded vote on 92% of all votes taken in the Senate this past session. It is not a secret that Andy continues to work on his speech, which was impaired after the fall at his home in 2014. However, he has ably and dutifully represented his district and his principles in the Senate circle.
The statement comes after almost a week of silence from the Capitol about the accident, which happened as Senator Maynard was returning from the legislative office building to his home in Stonington.
Maynard was hospitalized at New London’s Lawrence and Memorial with a concussion, after the accident on Route 32 which totaled two vehicles. Police said he was traveling the wrong direction on the road, but his attorney said he won’t speak with officers until at least next week.
The crash comes just less than a year after Maynard returned to the legislature following a traumatic brain injury he sustained in a fall at his home.
David Collins, a columnist for The Day newspaper, told WNPR’s Where We Live that it’s time that the public knew more about his medical condition.
"I think these records need to be presented and there needs to be some testimony from his doctors," said Collins. "He’s a public official, and he’s doing the people’s business, and voting on matters. It seems clear that he’s not able to really communicate with people very well."
Senate leaders have not made themselves available to answer questions about Maynard's future since the accident.
Collins said it continues a pattern of silence in the wake of his initial injury. "I think the Senate Democrats are most worried about a special election," he said. "There’s certainly Heather Bond Somers who ran for Lieutenant Governor, she’s in the wings, it’s her district. She seems to be interested in running. I think the Democrats are worried about that."
Maynard has not given a media interview in the 18 months since his fall. His attorney said he’s been driving for the last three to four months.
