Sen. Reid leaves hospital after Vegas car crash

LAS VEGAS — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was discharged from the hospital less than three hours after an apparent rear-end crash Friday afternoon on a Las Vegas freeway, a hospital spokeswoman said.Reid suffered rib and hip contusions in the crash that happened about 1:10 p.m. Friday on Interstate 15, staffers said. He was taken to the hospital by his security detail as a precaution. Troopers had earlier reported he was transported by ambulance.Reid, 72, was wearing a seatbelt at the time of impact and walked into the hospital on his own, according to a statement from his office.A members of Reid’s staff and other people in the senator’s security detail had minor injuries and were taken to the hospital for evaluation, the statement said.Six vehicles were involved in the apparent chain-reaction crash, including two Las Vegas police vehicles and two capitol police vehicles that were escorting Reid. Images from the scene showed broken glass, bumper damage and deflated tires on some of the vehicles.Two lanes were closed and four tow trucks were summoned to the freeway that runs parallel to the Las Vegas Strip, said Nevada Highway Patrol spokesman Jeremie Elliott.Officials in Reid’s office said he was headed for an interview with Spanish-language newspaper El Mundo at the time of the crash. He had also planned to meet with another Spanish-language newspaper, El Tiempo, a little later in the afternoon.It wasn’t clear whether the accident would alter any of Reid’s other plans for the day, spokeswoman Kristen Orthman said.