Posted on 10/18/2014 12:01:31 PM PDT by DogByte6RER
MURRIETA: Mayor, arrested in suspected DUI crash that injured four, apologizes
Murrieta Mayor Alan Long was arrested on suspicion of DUI on Thursday after a crash left four Murrieta Valley High School cheerleaders with injuries ranging from moderate to major, authorities said.
Long, 44, was booked into the Southwest Detention Center in French Valley and later released on $50,000 bail. He did not respond to requests for comment.
About 8:15 p.m., Long was driving south on Jefferson Avenue when his full-size pickup truck crashed into the back of a car waiting to make a left turn at Lily Avenue, Murrieta police Lt. Julie Hoxmeier said.
Long showed signs of alcohol impairment, police said, though preliminary results from a breathalyzer test showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.07 percent, just below the legal limit of 0.08. After performing field sobriety tests, officers determined Long was impaired, a police news release said. Hoxmeier said the definitive evidence will be the results of a blood sample collected for testing.
Long’s attorney, Virginia Blumenthal, issued a written statement saying that Long “extends his sincere apologies” for the incident.
“Mr. Long has never been arrested before and has never been at fault in an accident,” Blumenthal said. “It is my firm belief that while there has been an accident, there was no crime committed.”
The injured girls, ranging in age from 14 to 17, were taken to hospitals for treatment.
Karen Parris, spokeswoman for the Murrieta Valley Unified School District, said the students are members of the cheer squad at Murrieta Valley and had performed in a pep rally Thursday night in anticipation of Friday’s football game against Vista Murrieta.
“Three of the four are already home,” she said.
(Excerpt) Read more at pe.com ...
October 16, 2014 arrest photo of Murrieta, CA Mayor Alan Long; charged with suspected DUI resulting in injuries to four high school cheerleaders; photo bt Riverside County Sheriff's Department
Ironically, the Murrieta Police Officers Association, the public employee union that represents Murrieta police officers, endorsed Alan Long for re-election in November 2014. Mayor Long was arrested by the Murrieta Police Department for suspected DUI.
***$50,000 bond***
I fail to see why he was given such a bond if he wasn't legally intoxicated which is what he is being charged with. I don't even see how he could be arrested.
Also, is it standard procedure to get a blood screening when someone fails a breathalyser exam in CA?
Interesting flyer. He’s 44 and it says he has over 35 years of public safety experience.
No mention of his party affiliation-does it matter? Depends on what it is.
I remember when the level went from .10 to .08, I talked to a doctor who researched this and he said that a mildly distracted person has poorer reflexes than someone who registers a .08
I'll bet he was shook up from the accident. If I caused an accident like this one, I probably couldn't pass a sobriety test even if I blew a 0.0.
This is not to say that he is not responsible for causing the accident.
He worked double shifts.
Tested at .07? Dude can't hold his liquor. When I was stationed in Germany, I think my BAT never got lower than .1. Yes, the beer and the wine (and an occasional shot of Jager) were that good.
In a restaurant, it was cheaper to get two litres of beer than a six ounce glass of Coke, no ice.
Good lord man. He hit CHEERLEADERS!! Lock him up and toss the key!
My wine supply continues to grow...I joined a wine club at a local winery six months ago, and the stuff is so good I save it for a special occasion. Trouble is, only my daughter drinks wine, and my in-laws only imbibe Bud Light.
OTOH, that's a good problem to have! lol Through my travels, I've discovered a number of excellent vintages that I call "perfect for the in-laws": really good wine that retails for under $10-12 a bottle.
For those that like Riesling, look no further than a bottle from Piesport (Mosel-Germany). The Michelsberg vineyard is not highly thought of, so you can get a really good bottle from $8 & up. I call it the "Walmart of German wine."
Think I'll head to the local store and pick me up a bottle for two, for sippin' during the week.
He used to ride his bicycle to school and observed all the stop signs along his route.......
Hall monitor...
School crossing guard?
I agree with you. This is a case of a guy that had one drink and then got into an accident. There is a reason for the blood alcohol limit standard. It is to make sure crap like this does not happen.
At the city council level, party affiliation is not a factor (exception being big cities or crazy cities). In a town like Murrieta the those types of political lines are very blurred.
You often find the most fiscally conservative at city councils are the Dems and the Republican's giving away taxpayer dollars like there was no tomorrow.
“Good lord man. He hit CHEERLEADERS!! Lock him up and toss the key!”
If he were a worthy political leader, he would have elected to crash his truck into a carload of soccer players, stoner kids, goth girls or those girls that were not quite cute enough to make the cheerleading squad and are regulated to the drill team.
But cheerleaders? I hope the mayor understands the horror and injustice he has caused.
Snitch
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.