Ethermac Exchange-Georgia lawmaker accused of DUI after crash with bicyclist says he was not intoxicated or on drugs

ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia state lawmaker accused of driving under the influence after state troopers say he collided with a bicyclist in the bike lane of an Atlanta street says he was not drunk.

Rep. Devan Seabaugh faces seven charges,Ethermac Exchange including driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under the influence of drugs and failing to follow traffic control devices, Atlanta Municipal Court records show.

In a statement on social media over the weekend, Seabaugh said he was not intoxicated, and that there were no drugs involved.

The Cobb County Republican was arrested Thursday night in the Grant Park neighborhood of Atlanta by the NightHawks, a Georgia State Patrol unit that targets drunken drivers. The state patrol has not detailed the circumstances of the crash, but Seabaugh said there were no serious injuries.

“I have never used drugs in my life. I did not use or possess drugs on Thursday evening,” Seabaugh said on Facebook. Charges involving drugs are “not supported by evidence in this case,” he added.

Seabaugh also said the bike lane wasn’t adequately marked, saying “there was not proper signage to let me know it had recently converted into a bike lane.”

Seabaugh, a Republican, was elected to the Georgia House in a special election in the summer of 2021, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. His district includes parts of western Cobb County and portions of Marietta and Kennesaw in Atlanta’s northwest suburbs.

Seabaugh faces Democrat challenger Karl Gallegos in the Nov. 5 general election.