WASHINGTON - U.S. Commerce Secretary John Bryson said Thursday he is resigning after suffering a seizure this month connected to a pair of car crashes in the Los Angeles area.
Bryson said in a letter to President Barack Obama that he is concerned his seizure "could be a distraction" and said the U.S. would be better served by a change in leadership at the department. He earlier had transferred his duties as secretary to Deputy Secretary Rebecca Blank.
Obama said in a statement he has accepted the resignation. The president is in the middle of an intense re-election race that will largely be determined by economic issues.
Authorities in California said Bryson was driving alone this month when he struck the rear of a vehicle that had stopped for a passing train. He spoke briefly with the people in the car and hit it again as he left.
He struck a second car nearby and was found unconscious in his car.
Bryson was cited for felony hit-and-run, although he has not been charged. The incident remains under investigation.
Bryson had not suffered a seizure previously. It was not clear whether the seizure preceded or followed the crashes. The Commerce Department said Bryson had a "limited recall of the events."
Bryson had led the department since October. In a separate message to Commerce Department employees on Thursday, Bryson said their efforts to help American businesses "build our economy and create jobs is more important now than ever."
