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Michigan Rep. Mary Cavanagh accused of driving drunk
State Rep. Mary Cavanagh is accused of driving drunk when a Livonia police officer saw that her vehicle had two flat tires.
LIVONIA, Mich. (FOX 2) - Michigan Rep. Mary Cavanagh (D-Redford) is accused of driving drunk with two flat tires earlier this year.
Cavanagh, 30, has a previous operating while intoxicated conviction on her record stemming from a 2015 arrest.
According to a police report, a Livonia officer heard thumping and saw a Ford Escape with both driver's side tires flat just after 2 a.m. Feb. 25.
The officer followed the SUV as the driver, later identified as Cavanagh, turned from Merriman onto Schoolcraft and got on I-96. Once on the freeway, the officer said Cavanagh began swerving between the right and center lane.
After the driver's side front tire disconnected from the rim, the officer said Cavanagh exited the freeway at Middlebelt by cutting across the gore, which is the triangular area located in between the lanes of a highway and the exit. She then put her hazards on, so the officer stopped her.
According to the police report, Cavanagh told the officer, "I feel like I had some type of tire or something." The report said that Cavanagh did not know what happened to the tires.
Rep. Mary Cavanagh (Photo: Michigan House of Democrats)
When asked where she was coming from, she told the officer the Livonia Democratic Party. However, the report said that she didn't know where that was. When asked again, she told the officer she was coming back from Lansing, the report said.
Cavanagh was asked to perform a field sobriety test and a preliminary breath test before being arrested. She blew a .20, more than double the legal limit for alcohol that someone can have in their system while driving, at the jail.
She is charged with operating while intoxicated. Cavanagh appeared in court Wednesday, and is due back in court April 21.
"My client takes this very seriously as a public servant. It's important that we all be responsible in our actions and to take accountability for ourselves, her attorney, Todd Perkins, said.
John Wentworth, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, released a statement after hearing about Cavanagh's arrest:
"Until today, nobody ever admitted to what happened, hoping it would go away unnoticed. And unfortunately, that means everyone is still trying to figure it out. Thankfully, the Livonia Police were on alert and intervened before anything tragic happened.
"I just hope Leader Lasinski and the Democrat caucus didn’t know and try to keep it under wraps. Even if we have to step in as the legal process plays out, we will make sure the people of Michigan get the accountability they deserve."
State House Democratic Leader Donna Lasinkski also released a statement:
"Rep. Cavanagh is facing a serious charge. Our priority is providing her with the support she needs to meet these challenges and stay healthy as the legal process proceeds."