A volunteer for Ben Carson's Republican presidential campaign died Tuesday after a van carrying four staff members flipped over on a patch of ice in Cass County, Iowa, and was rammed by another vehicle, hospital officials confirmed Tuesday night. 
 
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 Carson immediately suspended his campaign for at least two days to travel from South Carolina to Omaha, Nebraska, where Braden Joplin, 25, was rushed for treatment at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the campaign said. 
 
 Joplin died at 4:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. ET), the hospital said. The other passengers — Drew McCall, a field director for the campaign, and volunteers Aaron Ohnemus and Ryan Patrick Shellooe — weren't seriously injured and were released from a local hospital, the campaign said. 
 
 Rest In Peace Braden Joplin. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. pic.twitter.com/p87TCnD44p — Dr. Ben Carson (@RealBenCarson) January 20, 2016 
 
 Joplin, of Midland, Texas, was a student at Texas Tech University, NBC station KWES of Midland reported. The Carson campaign said it would cover travel expenses to Omaha for Joplin's family in Texas. 
 
 Speaking to reporters Tuesday night in Omaha, Carson called Joplin "an amazing young man." 
 
 "I just hope that maybe his death might help some people to think about the hardheartedness that has infested our land," Carson said. "People are just mean, and they just say things to try to hurt people. They don't care about anybody but themselves." 
 
 Joplin was "just the opposite of that," he said. "And I hope his death will not be in vain." 
 
 Carson was campaigning Tuesday in South Carolina when he got the news and canceled the rest of his schedule for the day, as well a scheduled event Wednesday in California. The campaign projected that he would return to campaigning Thursday in Iowa, where the critical Republican caucuses are scheduled Feb. 1. 
 
 Other candidates, including Republican Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio and Democratic former Secertary of State Hillary Clinton, and Donald Trump's campaign manager sent their prayers and wishes Tuesday: 
 
 I'm so sorry to hear about this terrible tragedy. My heart goes out to Braden's family and colleagues. -H https://t.co/zqI0JBfiJ5 — Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) January 20, 2016 ||||| OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A volunteer for Ben Carson's presidential campaign died Tuesday after being hospitalized with injuries suffered in a car accident in western Iowa that hurt three other campaign workers. 
 
 FILE - In this Nov. 13, 2015 file photo, Republican Presidential candidate, Dr. Ben Carson speaks to the media before a town hall event at Bob Jones University in Greenville, S.C. A volunteer for Carson's... (Associated Press) 
 
 Carson was in South Carolina at the time of the Tuesday morning accident and suspended his campaign events. 
 
 An official for a hospital in Omaha, Nebraska, said the Carson campaign volunteer, 25-year-old Braden Joplin, died late Tuesday afternoon. 
 
 Campaign spokesman Jason Osborne said the crash occurred when a van carrying three Carson volunteers and a paid staffer flipped onto its side on an icy road and was hit by another vehicle. The others in the van were treated at a hospital in Atlantic, Iowa. 
 
 Carson posted a picture of himself and Joplin on Twitter Tuesday night, writing: "Rest In Peace Braden Joplin. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family." 
 
 In a statement released by his campaign, Carson wrote: "One of the precious few joys of campaigning is the privilege of meeting bright young men and women who are so enthusiastic about their country that they will freely give of their time and energy to work on its behalf. America lost one of those bright young men today." 
 
 Chris Cook, spokesman for Texas Tech University, said the death of Braden Joplin, who attended the university in Lubbock, was a great loss. 
 
 "The loss of life, especially one of our own, is always tragic. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Braden during this difficult time." 
 
 Other presidential candidates from both parties, including Republican Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz and Democrat Martin O'Malley, also offered condolences on Twitter. And Democratic contender Bernie Sanders paid tribute at the beginning of a rally in Iowa City, Iowa. 
 
 "I have a lot of respect for any young person who gets involved in the political process," Sanders said. "Our hearts go out to the family of the young man." ||||| Twenty-five year old Braden Joplin, right, died Tuesday in a car crash in Iowa while volunteering for presidential candidate Ben Carson. The retired neurosurgeon canceled the remained of his events Tuesday and flew to Nebraska, where the other passengers in the car were taken via medevac helicopter. | Photo courtesy Ben Carson campaign Volunteer for Ben Carson dies from crash injuries 
 
 A volunteer on Ben Carson's campaign succumbed to injuries sustained in a car accident on an icy Iowa road earlier Tuesday. 
 
 The volunteer, 25-year-old Braden Joplin, died late Tuesday afternoon at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. 
 
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 "Rest in peace, Braden Joplin," Carson tweeted. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family." 
 
 Three others in the Carson van were injured in the Interstate 80 crash near Atlantic, Iowa. According to Carson's campaign, they were all treated at a nearby Iowa hospital and released. 
 
 The GOP presidential candidate subsequently issued a statement: "One of the precious few joys of campaigning is the privilege of meeting bright young men and women who are so enthusiastic about their country that they will freely give of their time and energy to work on its behalf. America lost one of those bright young men today. 
 
 "I had the privilege of knowing Braden Joplin personally, and am filled with a deep and profound sadness at his passing. While we mourn this profound loss, I am thankful that our other campaign colleagues, Drew McCall, Aaron Ohnemus and Ryan Patrick Shellooe, have all been treated and released from the hospital." 
 
 According to the Daily Toreador of Texas Tech University, Joplin was a student at Texas Tech. The newspaper said Joplin had been a volunteer for Carson in Iowa since earlier this month. He had attended Robert E. Lee High School in Midland, Texas. 
 
 "I find solace in the knowledge of God’s redeeming grace," Carson said, "and I pray that Braden's family finds comfort in the mercy of the Lord. Across America today, I ask everyone to take a moment to reflect on the preciousness of life and remember and honor the memory of Braden Joplin." 
 
 Earlier reports indicated three student volunteers and a campaign staffer for Carson had been hospitalized — with one volunteer in grave condition flown to a trauma center in Nebraska. The van they were riding in struck a patch of ice, flipped on its side and was struck by another vehicle. 
 
 Atlantic is the county seat of Cass County in southwestern Iowa. It is 53 miles from Omaha. 
 
 Carson, who was in South Carolina at the time of the crash, canceled his remaining campaign events (as well as events Wednesday) and flew to Nebraska. "Dr. Carson is asking people to join him in prayer for all the individuals and families involved," a campaign spokesman said at the time. 
 
 According to the Daily Toreador, Carson's campaign chartered a private jet for Joplin's family to fly from Texas to Omaha. 
 
 "The loss of life, especially one of our own, is especially tragic," said Chris Cook, managing director of Communications & Marketing at Texas Tech, in an official statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Braden during this difficult time." 
 
 Most of Carson's rivals — certainly familiar with the energy and idealism that volunteers bring to the campaign trail — weighed in to offer sympathy to the accident victims. 
 
 Donald Trump's campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and the Hillary Clinton campaign's Iowa leader also offered kind words. 
 
 "Thoughts & prayers with @RealBenCarson's volunteers & staff- involved in a car accident this morning," Lewandowski tweeted. 
 
 "Sad #iacaucus news today," wrote Matt Paul, Clinton's state director. "On behalf of IA HRC Team, Our thoughts and prayers go out @RealBenCarson's staff and their families." 
 
 After the news of Joplin's death, Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders and GOP contender Jeb Bush issued statements of sympathy. 
 
 “Young volunteers like Braden Joplin are the heart and soul of the democratic process. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family," Sanders said. 
 
 "Praying for the family of the young Ben Carson volunteer Braden Joplin, who was killed in a tragic car crash in IA," Bush said. "A life taken too soon." 
 
 
 
 Authors:
– A sad day for the Ben Carson campaign: The GOP candidate canceled Tuesday and Wednesday campaign events after the death of a volunteer in a car crash in western Iowa. Braden Joplin, a 25-year-old from Midland, Texas, was fatally injured and three other campaign workers were hurt Tuesday afternoon when their van flipped over on an icy road and was hit by another vehicle, reports NBC News. Joplin was flown to a hospital in Nebraska, while the other three were treated locally and released. Politico reports that Carson, who was in South Carolina at the time, flew to Nebraska when he heard the news and paid for a private jet to bring Joplin's family out from Texas. "One of the precious few joys of campaigning is the privilege of meeting bright young men and women who are so enthusiastic about their country that they will freely give of their time and energy to work on its behalf," Carson said in a statement. "America lost one of those bright young men today. I had the privilege of knowing Braden Joplin personally, and am filled with a deep and profound sadness at his passing." Other candidates, including Ted Cruz and Hillary Clinton, tweeted their condolences, while Bernie Sanders mentioned Joplin at the start of a rally in Iowa City, the AP reports. "I have a lot of respect for any young person who gets involved in the political process," Sanders said. "Our hearts go out to the family of the young man."