Former FBI Director Louis Freeh Involved In Single-Car Crash

Photo: Rick Russell/Vermont Standard

Former FBI Director Louis Freeh sustained serious injuries earlier this week after the SUV he was driving down the highway in Vermont suddenly veered off the road and struck a tree. Emergency workers had to cut off the top of his vehicle to extricate him. The 64-year old was transported by helicopter to a hospital in Lebanon, New Hampshire where he was admitted in the intensive care unit under armed protection due to his past work on terrorism cases while running the FBI from 1993 to 2001. Vermont police tell the Burlington Free Press that drugs or alcohol were not a factor in the crash that occurred around noon on Monday. Vermont State Police also say they don't believe Freeh's GMC Yukon had been tampered with. Curiously, an unidentified FBI agent just happened to be one of the first persons on the scene following Freeh's crash according to the newspaper report. The Burlington Free Press said it was unclear what the extent of Freeh's injuries were or how much longer he would remain hospitalized.

Freeh was in charge of a number of controversial cases while serving as FBI director, including the Ruby Ridge incident, the Waco massacre by the government of members of the Branch Dividians, the Murrah Federal Building bombing in Oklahoma City, the charging of an innocent man for the bombing at the Atlanta Olympics, the crash of TWA Flight #800 and the Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia. After leaving the FBI, Freeh started up his own private consulting and investigative firm, Freeh Group International Solutions. His most notable recent work was a highly-criticized investigative report he prepared for Penn State following the arrest and conviction of serial child molester Jerry Sandusky, a former Penn State assistant football coach under the late, long-time head football coach, Joe Paterno.

Some people have questioned Freeh's close associations with the Saudi royal family. He defended Bandar bin Sultan, the former Saudi ambassador to the U.S. who married into the House of Saad, in the investigation of an arms deal between the UK and Saudi Arabia. Russ Baker's WhoWhatWhy has more on Freeh's curious car crash here. Some believe that Freeh's pre-9/11 handling of counter-terrorism efforts made it possible for 15 of the 19 Saudis allegedly involved in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to gain entry into the country and participate in the terrorist attacks. Critics of the 911 Commission Report have long complained that commission members deliberately ignored overwhelming evidence of Saudi involvement in the events leading up to 9/11.