Longtime D.C. Council member and former Mayor Marion Barry has settled his traffic ticket woes, after accumulating more than $2,800 in fines over the past two-and-a-half years.
Barry reportedly paid $1,779 of the total, according to DMV official Lucinda Babers, and $1,045 was "reduced through adjudication," which allowed him to legally reclaim his towed 2002 Jaguar.
Barry's unpaid tickets made news after his Saturday night car crash.
The former mayor received multiple traffic citations Saturday for driving on the wrong side of the street and having expired plates.
In a statement released Wednesday, Barry said he wanted to set the record straight about the accident, saying a hypoglycemic attack was responsible for his "fender bender" on Pennsylvania Avenue.
"There were some Barry haters and members of the press who exaggerated the incident, causing the public to become unnecessarily alarmed," Barry said.
The 78-year-old council member, who has been diabetic for the past 20 years, said he could feel his blood sugar level dropping so he pulled over and ate some candy. After he resumed driving, he "became disoriented and confused." The collision with another vehicle put Barry in the hospital overnight.
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"The outcome could have been much worse," Barry said. "I am just fine and glad to put this chapter behind me."
