Former Murrieta Mayor Charged With DUI in Crash That Injured 4 Teenage Cheerleaders

Alan William Long resigned four days after the Oct. 16 crash but said he will continue to seek re-election to a second four-year term

The former mayor of Murrieta was charged Thursday with felony DUI for a crash that injured four teenage cheerleaders.

Alan William Long, 44, was charged with one count of driving under the influence of alcohol causing bodily injury, along with four sentence-enhancing bodily injury allegations.

Long, who is free on a $50,000 bond, is scheduled to be arraigned at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta on Dec. 11, according to the Riverside County District Attorney's Office.

Long resigned four days after the Oct. 16 crash, but said he will continue to seek re-election to a second four-year term next week.

Long, who was behind the wheel of a full-size pickup, allegedly rear-ended a sedan carrying four cheerleaders from Murrieta Valley High School shortly after 8 p.m. Oct. 16 at the intersection of Jefferson and Lily avenues.

The victims, ranging from 14 and 17 years old, were taken to hospitals -- two suffered major injuries, according to Murrieta police Lt. Ron Driscoll.

He said Long, who was uninjured, "had signs and symptoms consistent with alcohol impairment."

Long's blood alcohol content was 0.08 percent, D.A.'s spokesman John Hall said.

Long said in a news conference at Murrieta City Hall when he resigned Oct. 20 that "once all facts regarding the event have been revealed and the legal due process is complete, I will be exonerated.

"However, I am well aware that being involved in such a high-profile accident in my position as mayor and as a member of the city council will be a distraction. Because I love and care for this city and community, I cannot in good conscience allow that to continue. This will ensure there is not even a hint of impropriety, and that I will be treated in this matter just like anyone else," he said.

While acknowledging that continuing on as mayor and a member of the city council would "distract from the very important discussions we must all have on the future of our city," Long said he saw "no reason why I should not seek re-election."

Long is a battalion chief for the Anaheim Fire Department.

Anaheim police Lt. Bob Dunn, who handles public affairs for the department, told City News Service earlier this month that Long's duty schedule had not changed and that his superiors would be "monitoring the investigation" to determine what, if any, disciplinary action to take.

Copyright CNS - City News Service
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