Rochester man convicted in deadly drunk driving crash on 490

Rochester, N.Y. — A man was convicted Tuesday by a Monroe County jury for a drunk driving crash that killed two people last fall. Christopher Long Jr., now 26, of Rochester, was driving on Interstate 490 eastbound Nov. 22 when his car went off the road, hit a barrier, flipped over several times and struck a utility pole before coming to a rest on the off-ramp at Culver Road, according to police. Two female passengers from Rochester were killed. Skylar Swift, 18, died at the scene, while Aleci Lopez, 23, died from her injuries after being taken to Strong Memorial Hospital, police said. A third passenger, a 19-year-old Rochester woman, was hurt but survived the crash.

Long, who was taken into custody at the scene after resisting arrest, was also treated at Strong for minor injuries, according to police. He was found guilty Tuesday of aggravated vehicular homicide, two counts of vehicular manslaughter and driving while intoxicated (DWI).

“Last year, Christopher Long, Jr. made a series of devastating decisions that claimed the lives of two innocent young women and put countless others in danger,” Monroe County Assistant District Attorney Drew Kroft said in a statement. “What happened that November morning was not an accident, it was a tragedy that never had to happen. Driving under the influence is a choice, not a mistake, and in this case, it was a fatal one. Aleci Lopez and Skylar Swift should be here today, living full lives. Instead, their families are left with heartbreak and memories."

Long is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 26.

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