Former Georgia state senator killed in motorcycle crash

Former state Sen. Joey Brush of Appling was killed in a motorcycle crash Thursday morning.

The Augusta Chronicle reported that Brush, 59, was pronounced dead at Doctors Hospital by Columbia County Deputy Coroner Bonnie King.

Brush was driving his Harley-Davidson motorcycle just after 8:30 a.m. when a turning car pulled in front of him, Columbia County sheriff’s Capt. Steve Morris told the paper.

Brush lost his Senate seat in 2004 in a Republican primary battle with Jim Whitehead of Evans. One criticism cited by Brush opponents in that race was that his efforts at the state Capitol were too heavily focused on repealing the state law requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets.

Brush was a builder and developer who spent four years in the Georgia House, then eight years in the Senate. For 10 years, he was a member of the energy committee at the American Legislative Exchange Council.

His last foray into public office was a bid for a seat on the Public Service Commission.

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