State lawmaker arrested on DUI charges after hitting cyclist
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Devan Seabaugh. Photo: Georgia General Assembly
A state representative arrested on several charges, including multiple counts of driving under the influence, after police say he hit a cyclist last week in Atlanta says he was not impaired at the time of the collision.
Why it matters: The collision, which the Georgia State Patrol says occurred in the bike lane, underscores that while Atlanta's made strides to become more bicyclist friendly, sharing the roads with cars still poses a danger to people traveling on two wheels.
Driving the news: Atlanta Municipal Court records show Devan Seabaugh (R-Marietta) faces six counts of DUI — including separate charges for driving under the influence of both alcohol and drugs.
- He's also charged with failing to obey traffic control devices in relation to the crash, which was reported just after 9pm last Thursday on Memorial Drive near Oakland Cemetery in Grant Park.
What they're saying: Seabaugh said Saturday in a post on Facebook that "there were no drugs involved," and he was not intoxicated or speeding.
- Seabaugh said he turned right on Memorial from Boulevard and "attempted to remain the right-most lane," but there was no signage to indicate it had been made into a bike lane.
- "Out of respect to the other people involved in this incident, I do not wish to make further factual statements, but I did want to clarify these important points," he said.
Context: The Georgia Department of Transportation is working on a project to install two-way bike lanes on Memorial Drive west from Pearl Street to Trinity Avenue in Downtown, which includes the area where last week's collision occurred.
- Traffic lanes along that stretch of the highway have been reduced from four to two as part of that ongoing project.
- GDOT spokesperson Scott Higley told Axios that concrete buffers and temporary cones have been added to help guide traffic, but those cones have been moved by people who are not crews working on the project.
- Since the project is ongoing, GDOT urges both cyclists and motorists to not use the lanes.
- The agency will also install flexible bollards, signage and road markings to indicate the lanes are for cyclists, Higley said, adding the project is expected to be completed in October.
Zoom in: Elected to the state house in 2021 to represent parts of Marietta, Kennesaw and west Cobb, Seabaugh is the vice president of administration of Marietta-based Metro Atlanta Ambulance Service, according to this biography. He's currently running for re-election.
The big picture: Rebecca Serna, executive director of Propel ATL, a biking and pedestrian advocacy organization, said the organization has been advocating for safety improvements to Memorial Drive for years.
- Serna said Propel is still "optimistic that this new space for people to bike and scoot will make the corridor safer for everyone once it's completed."
What we're watching: The Georgia State Patrol has not released an incident report. Seabaugh is scheduled to appear in Atlanta Municipal Court at 8am Sept. 4.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include a statement from Rep. Seabaugh.