Murrieta mayor suspected in DUI crash that injured four

Murrieta Mayor Alan Long was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after a crash that injured four teenagers, several of whom were hospitalized, police said Friday.

Long, 44, was taken into custody Thursday night for alleged DUI resulting in bodily injury. He posted a $50,000 bond Friday and was released from the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta.

According to Lt. Ron Driscoll, the crash occurred shortly after 8 p.m. at the intersection of Jefferson and Lily avenues. Driscoll said Long was at the wheel of a full-sized pickup going south on Jefferson and slammed into the rear of a sedan occupied by the four teens, whose ages range from 14 to 17 years old.

The victims’ identities were not disclosed, but the lieutenant said all four are Murrieta Valley High School students.

Driscoll said the youths suffered “moderate to major injuries” and were taken to hospitals for treatment.

Long was not injured. Driscoll said the mayor “had signs and symptoms
consistent with alcohol impairment.” A field sobriety test was conducted, confirming that Long “was, in fact, impaired,” according to Driscoll.

The suspect was booked without incident.

The mayor, in his first four-year term on the Murrieta City Council, is running for re-election. He is a battalion chief for the Anaheim Fire Department.

“At this point, everything is normal and there is no change in his work
status,” Anaheim police Lt. Bob Dunn, who handles public affairs for the
fire department, told City News Service. “We will be monitoring the
investigation.”