Commerce secretary accused of felony hit-and-run Lt. Ariel Duran said the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office will decide whether to prosecute Bryson, based on the results of toxicology tests and the ongoing police investigation. The sheriff's department statement said there were no indications at this point that drug or alcohol use played a role in the collisions. It said "all parties" were cooperating with law enforcement authorities. Bryson, 68, was driving a Lexus in the city of San Gabriel at 5:05 p.m. on Saturday, police said, when he allegedly rear-ended a Buick that had stopped at a train crossing. Bryson spoke to the three occupants of the Buick, then hit the vehicle again as he drove off, the sheriff's statement says. The men in the Buick followed Bryson's car and called 911 to seek help. About five minutes later, the statement says, Bryson allegedly struck a Honda Accord, in the neighboring city of Rosemead. He was found behind the wheel of the Lexus after that crash, unconscious, the sheriff's office said. One of the two occupants of the Honda complained of pain, but declined medical treatment, authorities said. Two of the three men in the Buick also complained of pain and were treated by paramedics. The accidents occurred in different police jurisdictions and are being jointly investigated by the sheriff's office and the San Gabriel police department. Duran,the San Gabriel police watch commander on Saturday, said Bryson would have been arrested and charged with felony hit-and-run had he not been hospitalized. Instead, he was given the citation, and told to appear at Alhambra Superior Court in 60 days. Commerce Department spokeswoman Jennifer Friedman did not immediately respond to questions Monday morning about whether Bryson may have been ill or otherwise incapacitated in a way that would have affected his driving and behavior. Secretary Bryson was involved in a traffic accident over the weekend. He was taken to the hospital for examination and has been released. He has sustained no injuries and the investigation is ongoing," Friedman said. The Commerce Department is a sprawling enterprise with disparate bureaus ranging from the U.S. Census Bureau to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Leadership of the department has been in flux since before the Obama administration began. President Obama first tapped former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) to serve as his commerce secretary, but Richardson withdrew his nomination just days later amid an ethics investigation tied to his governorship. His withdrawal robbed the Obama transition team of the well-organized, "no drama" approach it had hoped to maintain during the 2008 presidential transition. Obama then turned to Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), who initially accepted the president's offer but withdrew his name in the early days of the administration, citing disagreements with the president's economic policy. Finally, Obama tapped former Washington state Gov. Gary Locke (D) for the position. Locke's tenure is perhaps best remembered for his stewardship of the 2010 Census. Locke left the department last year to serve as U.S. ambassador to China after Jon Huntsman resigned from the Beijing posting to run for the GOP presidential nomination. The White House, responding to criticism that the Cabinet lacked individuals with private sector experience, sought to find a nominee with a business background. Several top corporate executives are said to have been considered, but ultimately rejected the post. Among others, current Office of Management and Budget Acting Director Jeffrey Zients was considered. Bryson was confirmed by the Senate last October. A former executive at Edison International and a co-founder of the Natural Resources Defense Council, he's maintained a low profile in Washington. The administration has refused to make him available for media interviews, with some officials privately saying that he is not the strongest public advocate for the administration's economic and trade policies. Obama famously vowed to explore the reorganization of the Commerce Department during his 2011 State of the Union address, joking that U.S. salmon policy is inexplicably handled by both the Commerce and Interior departments.