Interminably troubled Council member Marion Barry suffered a minor traffic incident last night, which resulted in a traffic ticket but also, predictably, some speculation about his behavior. Shortly after midnight, Barry wrecked his car after pulling out of a parking space into an oncoming car. The collision took place near First Street and K in Southeast, near nightclubs and fast food restaurants and the site of the new Nationals baseball stadium.

Barry was given a ticket for failure to yield the right of way, but he also apparently failed a field sobriety test and was arrested. After arriving at the First District police station, it was determined that he was not legally intoxicated. Barry was not charged with DUI, and it’s quite possible that the former mayor was up to nothing more than obtaining a late night cheeseburger. There is something very sad, though, when the late night arrest of a 70 year old Councilman is practically business as usual.

Photo from Marion Barry’s D.C. Council website.