Newshub
Jan 16, 2026

Wife of Indiana Republican Dies From Injuries Suffered In Car Crash

Indiana Rep. Jim Baird’s wife, Danise, died early Sunday from “complications” related to more than a dozen fractures she sustained in a hit-and-run car crash in early January.

The congressman and his wife were both originally expected “to be okay” after a “pretty bad” car crash while returning to Washington, DC on Jan. 5, President Trump announced ahead of a House Republican policy retreat the following day.

Baird’s office confirmed the matriarch’s passing in a heartbreaking statement shared Sunday morning.

“Congressman Baird and Danise were married for 59 years, building a life centered on faith, family, and service. 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,” his office wrote.

The couple, who were “high school sweethearts,” have three children together, according to the biography on the Republican’s congressional office website.

Following a devastating crash, both were hospitalized. Baird, 80, was released from the hospital on January 6 but had to wear a neck brace for a few weeks afterward. Danise, who suffered an astonishing 15 fractures and breaks, was discharged on January 12, as confirmed by their son Beau Baird in a Facebook post.

Beau — who claimed his father’s Indiana legislative seat when the elder Baird departed for the US House of Representatives — posted on Feb. 1 that Danise had taken her “first assisted steps” since the crash. In the optimistic post, he noted that the family knew “there’s still a road ahead.”

Beau said that he’d primarily been sharing updates on his father because Danise “is a very private person” with “a long recovery ahead of her.”

Then, on Sunday, Beau posted: “3/1/26 6:31:10 am” — the date and time of Danise’s passing — ahead of his father’s official confirmation of her death, the New York Post reported.

Other posts