Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), cochairman of Congress' Addiction, Treatment and Recovery Caucus, has entered a treatment program after a Washington, D.C., traffic crash.

The Washington Post reported May 6 that Kennedy crashed his car into a traffic barrier after nearly hitting a Capitol Police car; officers on the scene reported that Kennedy appeared to be impaired, but supervisors told responding officers not to give the Congressman a sobriety test, and to drive him home.

Kennedy told reporters the day after the early morning crash that he had been disoriented by the combination of prescription anti-nausea medication and sleeping pills. He said he could not recall details of the crash.

A police investigation into the crash and the handling of the aftermath is ongoing. Kennedy said he did not ask police for any special treatment, and said he had not been drinking alcohol.

Kennedy said he has been battling addiction and depression since his teens. "I am deeply concerned about my reaction to the medication and my lack of knowledge of the accident that evening," he said. "But I do know enough that I know I need help."

He checked into the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., for treatment; he also completed a stint at the facility during Congress' winter break.

Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), the Rhode Island lawmaker's father, issued a statement saying Patrick "has taken full responsibility for events that occurred ...  and he will continue to cooperate fully with any investigation."