A Maryland state legislator has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, authorities said Monday.
Del. Jay Walker, a Prince George’s County Democrat, was charged after a traffic stop early Sunday in Waldorf, Maryland, the Charles County sheriff’s office said.
Authorities say Walker exited the parking lot of a business and failed to yield the right of way, causing an officer to take evasive action to avoid being struck.
Field sobriety tests were conducted, and the Prince George's County Democrat was arrested, authorities said. He was later released on his own recognizance.
A call to Walker's office was not immediately returned Monday.
Walker has temporarily stepped down as the vice chairman of a subcommittee on alcohol while the legal process proceeds, House Speaker Adrienne Jones said in a statement Monday.