Mitt Romney had a near-death experience
Before running for president and before becoming the 70th governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney had quite the life. The politician managed to complete college, start a family, and survive a catastrophic vehicle accident in which one other person died. What is actually known about Romney's experience with being close to death? The bizarre tale began when Romney was a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in his 20s (per US News & World Report). A teenage Romney received a draft deferment during the Vietnam War, allowing him to visit France in 1966 to share the Mormon faith. He was traveling in a five-seater Citroen DS at the time, together with the mission leader, his wife, and three other people. They were struck head-on by another car, which killed the mission leader's wife.
The severity of Romney's personal injuries led first responders to believe he had passed away. A picture of Romney as a young man with a cast on his arm and a black eye was taken after the accident while he was in the hospital and later released by the Daily Mail. After his wife passed away, the missionary leader departed France, and Romney, who had been sent to Paris, took up a lot of the church's tasks (via The Daily Beast).
The Daily Beast was given insight into the significance of that tragic day by Françoise Calmels, a representative for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in France. Everyone is sad when someone they know passes away, but the Church goes on, according to Calmels. "52,000 of our missionaries worldwide are assaulted and killed every year. It is both possible and common. They receive a mark from it." Romney has said that serving on a mission in France allowed him to "grow up" and deepen his religion. "On a mission, your faith in Jesus Christ either evaporates or it becomes much deeper," he told The New York Times in 2007. "For me, it became much deeper." While he may not have won the presidency, Romney's unsuccessful campaign must have seemed like little potatoes to someone who went through what Romney experienced at such a young age.
