A Democratic lawmaker in Connecticut was arrested for driving whereas impaired over the weekend, changing into the fourth state consultant from the get together to be caught by authorities with a buzz behind the wheel during the last two years.
State Rep. Aundré Bumgardner, 30, was arrested shortly after 2 a.m. Sunday when city police allegedly caught him driving with a blood alcohol content material two occasions increased than the authorized restrict on Gold Star Freeway in Groton.
Bumgardner — who was elected at 20 years previous, making him the youngest state rep in Connecticut’s historical past — put out an apology and mentioned he’s devoted to creating issues proper, however he didn’t specify what precisely he plans to do.
“Final night time, I used to be cited for working a motorcar whereas beneath the affect. I take full accountability for my actions and deeply remorse this error. I’m grateful that nobody was harmed and that no accident occurred,” Bumgardner wrote in an announcement Monday.
“I acknowledge the seriousness of this example and am dedicated to taking the required steps to make sure it by no means occurs once more. To my household, pals, colleagues, and the residents of the forty first District, whom I’m honored to serve, I sincerely apologize for my actions and the frustration I’ve induced.”
Groton city police didn’t launch extra particulars concerning the incident.
Following his arrest, Bumgardner, an assistant majority chief within the state Home of Representatives, was stripped of his assignments and suspended from all committees, in response to Speaker of the Home Matt Ritter.
Three different state representatives discovered themselves in equally unfit states behind the wheel in 2023, in response to Connecticut Insider.
State Rep. Geoff Luxenberg, deputy chief of the Home Democratic caucus, was arrested on Nov. 16, 2023 and charged with driving a automobile whereas beneath the affect.
Whereas driving, Luxenburg repeatedly hit the brakes and swerved right into a right-turn-only lane and again round 1 a.m. earlier than he was apprehended by Willimantic police, cops mentioned.
On March 16, 2023, state Rep. Robin Comey, a Democrat representing Branford, was charged with DUI following a crash in Hartford. Comey at the moment faces a lawsuit filed by a person who claims that she struck his SUV when her automobile flipped in Hartford.
On the time of the crash, police mentioned that Comey’s blood-alcohol content material was 0.14, which is .05 above the authorized restrict in Connecticut.
On Jan. 5, 2023, state Rep. Quentin “Q” Williams, a 39-year-old Democrat representing Middletown, was killed by a wrong-way driver after leaving Gov. Ned Lamont’s inaugural ball. Whereas he was not accountable for the crash, Williams’ blood-alcohol content material was above the authorized restrict, in response to toxicology assessments.
The incorrect-way driver additionally died within the head-on collision and toxicology assessments discovered that her blood-alcohol degree was above the authorized restrict. She additionally had THC in her system on the time, officers mentioned.
Bumgardner is scheduled to seem in court docket on March 14 on the Superior Court docket in New London.
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