USDA, House agriculture staff injured in car accident

An Agriculture Department employee and two staff members on the House Agriculture Committee were injured Thursday in a car accident south of El Campo, Texas.

A statement from the committee says the staffers were treated at a local hospital and released. The accident occurred after an event with farmers who had been affected by hurricane Harvey.

Statements from USDA and the committee say that Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, House Agriculture Chairman Michael Conaway and Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller were in a separate car and were not injured.

The Texas Department of Public Safety says an SUV driven by one of the staffers pulled out from a private drive onto a highway and collided with a semitrailer hauling 41,000 pounds of refrigerated chicken.