State Senate appropriations chair injured in Colorado wreck

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A prominent Pennsylvania state senator was in a motorcycle wreck more than a week ago and is recovering, his office said Thursday.

Republican Sen. Pat Browne was in Colorado, on his way to participate in a train photography event, when the crash occurred on Aug. 31, according to a release from his office. He was wearing a helmet.

He suffered a fractured neck, a broken orbital bone and a concussion, and required surgery. He is in stable condition and it may be weeks before he returns to Pennsylvania, his office said.

Browne, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, represents Lehigh County in the Senate.

Browne crashed a motorcycle in 2015, leaving him with a punctured lung, cracked ribs and a broken foot. He was charged at that time with his third drunken driving offense in a 20-year period. He apologized at the time, saying he was determined to get help with a drinking problem.