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Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been hospitalized with a broken vertebrae after a car accident, his spokesperson said on Sunday.

Giuliani, 81, was traveling on a highway in New Hampshire when his car was "struck from behind at high speed," said Michael Ragusa, who is also his head of security.

"He was transported to a nearby trauma center, where he was diagnosed with a fractured thoracic vertebrae, multiple lacerations and contusions, as well as injuries to his left arm and lower leg," Ragusa wrote on 

. "His business partner and medical provider were promptly contacted and arrived at the hospital to oversee his care."

Although Giuliani was injured, he is "in good spirits and recovering tremendously," he said. The incident was not a "targeted attack," Ragusa added, and asked people to "refrain from spreading unfounded conspiracy theories."

Giuliani is "fully alert and conscious, and his medical team is pleased with his progress," Ragusa said in a statement to NPR on Sunday evening. 

"The Mayor is eager to return to his work and looks forward to getting back to business in just a few days," he added. 

Before the accident, Giuliani had been "flagged down" by a woman who was involved in a domestic violence incident and he "immediately rendered assistance and contacted 911," Ragusa also stated. The former mayor remained on scene until law enforcement arrived to ensure the woman's safety.

New Hampshire State Police said in a statement released Sunday night they were investigating a domestic violence incident on I-93 in Manchester before 10 p.m. ET when the crash occurred on the other side of the interstate.

"As a result of the collision, both vehicles went into the median and were heavily damaged. Troopers and fire personnel, who were at the scene of the first incident, witnessed the collision and quickly crossed the interstate to render aid," the police said. 

Three people, including Giuliani and the driver of the car he was traveling in,  suffered "non-life-threatening injuries and were taken by ambulance to area hospitals for treatment," the police also said.

Andrew Giuliani, his son, thanked those who reached out and called his father tough in a 

The former mayor of New York became "America's mayor" in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center towers in the country's largest city. He continued to be a prominent face in Republican politics, becoming a key piece of President Trump's legal team challenging the 2020 election results, making false claims about widespread voter fraud that have been roundly debunked.

In the wake of that, Giuliani has faced significant legal troubles of his own. He was indicted in both Georgia and Arizona related to his role in attempts to overturn the 2020 election. In a separate case, Giuliani was ordered by a federal jury to pay two former Georgia election workers $148 million for defamation after he claimed the pair engaged in a fake ballot processing scheme. He was found to be 

 for failing to comply with that judgement in January. 

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Chandelis Duster

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Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been hospitalized with a broken vertebrae after a car accident in New Hampshire, according to his spokesperson. 

Rudy Giuliani hospitalized with broken vertebrae after car accident, spokesperson says

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