Marco Rubio’s Daughter, 12-Year-Old Amanda, Hospitalized After Golf Cart Collision

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s 12-year-old daughter, Amanda, was hospitalized on Saturday for a head injury she suffered during a golf cart collision.

Amanda Rubio, the eldest of the Senator’s four children, was visiting a private gated community with classmates when the collision took place, said Rubio spokesman Alex Conant, in a statement.

Amanda was airlifted to Miami Children’s hospital after the accident and admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, where she remains in fair condition, Conant said.

Sen. Rubio was in Kissimmee, Fla., campaigning for Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, when he received word of his daughter’s accident. He was reportedly notified of Amanda’s accident shortly after exiting the stage at around 7 p.m.

Rubio had been traveling around Florida all day with the Governor, beginning with a rally in Pensacola, Fla, where the 41-year-old Senator introduced Romney.

In Rubio’s introductory speech at the Pensacola Bay Center, he described Romney’s opponent, President Obama, as oppressive and lacking the necessary tools for innovation, saying that his ideas bear resemblance to “the ideas of countries that people come here to get away from.”

“[Obama] just put out a picture book that he calls his plan for the next four years,” said Rubio. “Unfortunately, there’s nothing really innovative in that picture book; they’re the ideas that have failed every time they’ve ever been tried, they’re expensive ideas, they’re the ideas of countries that people come here to get away from.”

Romney took Rubio’s lead, telling the cheering crowd of about 10,000, “we’re going to win this thing, you know that.” Romney went on to indict the President for some of the same criticisms leveled by Sen. Rubio, including not having a plan.

“He’s out of ideas. He’s out of excuses,” said Romney. “He is shrinking from the magnitude of the times. This is not a president who has been able to stand up to the challenge of the times.”

Conant said that Rubio was met with a wave of support across party lines, after being forced to abandon the campaign trail, and head home on a flight from Miami.

“Senator and Mrs. Rubio are grateful for all the outpouring of support and prayers,” said Conant, adding that the Senator had received calls from President Obama and Vice President Biden, along with a “personal message” from Governor Romney.

In a statement on Saturday, Romney campaign spokeswoman Andrea Saul said: "Governor Romney spoke with Senator Rubio and expressed his concern and hope for Amanda Rubio's quick recovery.”