Wife of GOP congressman dead after being injured in January hit-and-run crash

The wife of U.S. Rep. Jim Baird, R-Ind., has died after suffering serious injuries in a January hit-and-run accident, the congressman’s office announced Sunday.

Danise Baird died following complications from her injuries in the Jan. 5 car crash, Baird’s office wrote in a post on X.

“Congressman Baird and Danise were married for 59 years, building a life centered on faith, family, and service,” the post read. “A devoted wife and loving mother of three, she was the foundation of their family and will be deeply missed. We ask that you keep the Congressman and his family in your prayers during this difficult time.”

The congressman was also injured in the crash as the couple drove back to the nation’s capital. He was discharged after less than 24 hours in the hospital, though missed some time on Capitol Hill.

Baird, 80, and his wife were both originally expected “to be okay,” President Donald Trump said a day after the crash while making remarks at the recently renamed Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.

The couple’s son, Beau Baird, wrote in a Jan. 15 update on Facebook that his mother had “a long recovery ahead of her after suffering nearly 15 breaks and fractures” in the “serious hit-and-run accident.”

On Feb. 1, he wrote that his mother “has taken her first assisted steps,” adding that “while we’re hopeful, we know there’s still a road ahead, and family is at the center of all we do.”

Baird and his wife were high school sweethearts and shared three children together, according to the congressman’s House biography.

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Lawmakers took to social media to share their condolences with the Baird family following the devastating loss of their matriarch.

“This is incredibly sad news from our dedicated colleague Jim Baird,” Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., wrote. “Jim’s wife Danise was often by his side as he worked so hard in Congress on behalf of his constituents. They are salt of the earth people and Jim and his family have sacrificed so much for our country.”

Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn., asked the public to “join me in lifting up my colleague Rep. Jim Baird and his family in prayer,” adding, “May God wrap them in His comfort through the difficult days ahead.”

Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., wrote that she and her husband Mike were praying for the Baird family to “find comfort, strength, and peace in the days ahead.”

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Baird, a U.S. Army veteran who served during the Vietnam War and is known on Capitol Hill for veterans and farming issues, has represented Indiana’s 4th Congressional District since 2019. The district is a largely rural, agriculture-heavy area in western and north-central Indiana.

Fox News’ Michael Dorgan, Alex Nitzberg and Chad Pergram contributed to this report.

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