Tom Branan

By WENDI ZONGKER

wendi.zongker@mynassausun.com

YULEE -- Tom Branan resigned from the Nassau County Commission at tonight's meeting citing his ailing health and May 29 car accident as his reasons.

The resignation was announced at the beginning of the meeting by Commission Chairwoman Marianne Marshall, who read aloud the letter Branan wrote to Gov. Charlie Crist.

"I feel that it is to the best interest of myself, my fellow commissioners and the people of Nassau County," Branan wrote. "This is my third as County Commissioner and I have enjoyed serving the people of Nassau County and the state of Florida, of which I lived all my life."

by KEVIN TURNER

kevin.turner@mynassausun.com

County Commissioner Tom Branan was released from Shands Jacksonville over the weekend following a one-car accident Thursday.

Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Lt. Bill Leeper said Branan, 63, was northbound on Blackrock Road at about 5:30 p.m. Thursday and veered right while turning through a curve near Green Pine Road.

The car went off the road into a drainage ditch, came out near a concrete culvert and became airborne, coming to rest against a chain-link fence on the other side of the culvert, he said.

Nassau County Commissioner Tom Branan has been flown to Shands Jacksonville following a single-car accident this afternoon.

Branan was northbound on Blackrock Road shortly about 5:30 p.m. when his vehicle went off the road and hit a concrete culvert, said Nassau County Sheriff Tommy Seagraves. Seagraves said Branan was not responsive and that a medical condition may have caused the crash. Branan lives in the area where the accident occurred.

Nassau County Fire Rescue Chief Chuck Cooper said Branan was in critical condition when he was flown to the hospital.

His condition was later updated to fair.