• 08
  • July
    2010

The 4th of July weekend came to a tragic conclusion late Monday evening when a 22-year-old woman and recent graduate of Colorado State University was killed in a DUI/DWAI accident on a Denver freeway.

According to law enforcement officials, Elizabeth "Betsy" Jane Long, 35, traveled almost six miles in the wrong direction on I-25, driving her black 2008 Toyota RAV4 south in the northbound lanes of traffic. Witnesses later reported that Long was driving roughly 50 to 55 mph, and made no attempt to pull over or leave the freeway.

While driving in the wrong direction, Long struck at least two other vehicles. The first collision resulted in no injuries. However, the second collision (which occurred after Long had been driving for quite some time) resulted in far more serious consequences.

Long's RAV4 collided with the passenger side of a 1991 Honda Accord being driven by Jonathan Swanson, 32. While Swanson suffered moderate injuries, his passenger, 22-year-old Mary Elizabeth Warren was killed.

Authorities subsequently arrested Long for investigation of the following: two counts of vehicular assault, hit and run, DUI/DWAI, driving the wrong way on a divided highway, careless driving and failure to remain at the scene of an accident. She was treated for minor injuries and later released from jail after posting a $10,000 bond.

An examination of Denver County Court records indicated that over the last 10 years, Long had only a few minor traffic violations, including driving with expired license plates and operating an unsafe vehicle.

Stay tuned for further developments in this DUI/DWAI case ...

Related Resources:   
• One Dead After Wrong-Way Crash on I-25 (The Denver Post)