Georgia Rep. Devan Seabaugh was arrested Thursday night after he hit a cyclist in a bike lane while he was driving in Grant Park, the Georgia State Patrol said.
Seabaugh is charged with multiple counts of driving under the influence of both drugs and alcohol and faces seven individual citations, according to Atlanta Municipal Court records.
While the records do not indicate what kind of drugs were allegedly involved in the incident, Seabaugh was cited for being under the influence of multiple substances at once. He also faces a citation of failing to obey traffic control devices.
Troopers with the GSP’s drunken driving task force, the NightHawks, responded to the crash on Memorial Drive at Park Avenue just after 9 p.m., the state agency said. Seabaugh, a Republican, was arrested and taken to the Atlanta City Jail. He was arraigned and released Friday morning, court records show.
“Today I’m thankful that no one was hurt in last night’s traffic incident,” Seabaugh said in a statement Friday morning. “I appreciate the professionalism of the law enforcement officers on the scene, and we will let the legal process continue to play out. I look forward to the facts coming out and providing clarity to all concerned.”
The GSP said minor injuries were reported at the time of the incident but did not provide further details.
Photos from the scene showed the damaged bicycle with a bent wheel and Seabaugh, 59, being taken into custody, Channel 2 Action News reported.
The collision happened on a section of Memorial Drive where a bike lane is being added and traffic patterns have changed. The road, which is managed by the Georgia Department of Transportation, has reduced four traffic lanes to two and added a wide bike lane separated by orange traffic bollards and intermittent barriers.
In another statement sent to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Saturday, Seabaugh claimed that he has “never” used drugs and was not in possession of any drugs at the time of the crash.
“I was not intoxicated or speeding. I turned right onto Memorial Drive from Boulevard and attempted remain in the right-most lane as required by Georgia law. Unfortunately, there was not proper signage to let me know it had recently converted into a bike lane,” Seabaugh said. “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.”
Seabaugh was elected to the Georgia House in a special election in July 2021, according to the state General Assembly website. He serves House District 34, which includes parts of west Cobb County and portions of both Marietta and Kennesaw. Seabaugh is a member of the House Transportation Committee, among several others.
The lawmaker is up for reelection this year against Democrat Karl Gallegos. Their race will be on District 34 ballots in the Nov. 5 general election.
Gallegos, a physician and an alcoholic in recovery for 25 years, told the AJC he was concerned for his opponent.
“My heart goes out to his family,” Gallegos said. “I know how it feels.”
Gallegos said he was arrested on a DUI charge in 1996 and has since been in treatment and involved in Alcoholics Anonymous.
“I wish that everyone could get the help that I’ve gotten,” he said.
“When I had the problem, I did everything I could to get better and I didn’t come back until I felt that I could do the job,” Gallegos continued. “All legislators should be able to do their jobs without an environment of alcohol or drugs.”
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