09-05-2025
Suspected drunk driver submerges car in local creek
LORAIN, Ohio (WJW) – A man was cited early Thursday morning after allegedly driving while intoxicated and crashing his car into a creek near the Lake Erie shoreline, according to the Lorain Police Department.
Officers responded shortly after 2 a.m. to the intersection of Oak Point Road and West Erie Avenue following reports of a downed utility pole.
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At the scene, police found a man, later identified as Robert Long, 32, leaning against a guardrail with wet clothing. Long told officers his vehicle had become submerged in a nearby creek.
An investigation determined that Long had likely been driving a 2013 blue Dodge Challenger when it veered off the road, struck a utility pole, traveled through a ditch, and ultimately ended up fully submerged in the Beaver Creek inlet leading to Lake Erie — approximately 150 feet from the point of impact. Police said no other individuals were believed to be involved in the crash.
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Officers reported having probable cause to believe Long was intoxicated. He refused field sobriety tests as well as a breath test at the scene, authorities said.
Long was cited for failure to control, operating a vehicle while impaired (OVI), and refusal to submit to a breath test. He was transported to Mercy Health – Lorain Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The vehicle was recovered later by the Lorain Police Department's Underwater Recovery Team and was found to be heavily damaged and waterlogged.
According to court records, Long has a prior OVI conviction in Lorain Municipal Court from 2024. He is scheduled to appear again in Lorain Municipal Court on May 13.
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