NASCAR has indefinitely suspended Joshua P. Long after he was arrested overnight by the Salisbury (North Carolina) Police department for allegedly assaulting a female.
His arrest was reported Thursday by the Salisbury Post.
Long, who served as an underneath mechanic for Germain Racing, is no longer employed by the team. A Germain Racing spokesperson confirmed Long’s employment has been terminated and provided NBC Sports with the following statement:
“Germain Racing leadership is aware of the investigation involving Joshua Long, and the alleged actions do not align with the conduct standards that have been set for team members. At this time, he is no longer an employee of Germain Racing. The team has no further comment on the situation as this is an ongoing police investigation.”
According to the Salisbury Post, Long, 31 was charged with misdemeanor assault on a female.
The newspaper reported that police were alerted to the incident by the victim’s mother. The victim used an SOS feature on her phone to reach out for help.
The victim was treated on the scene and taken to the hospital with serious injuries, according to the Salisbury Post.
Police Lt. Greg Beam told the newspaper that the incident began over an argument following a trip to the Twin Peaks restaurant in Concord, North Carolina. The victim had asked to see Long’s SnapChat account, but he refused.
According to the Salisbury Post, the victim told police that Long began beating her as they drove along Interstate 85 and that she was unsuccessful in an attempt to jump out of the window of the moving vehicle.
After arriving home, the woman ran to a neighbor’s house seeking help, but there was no response, according to the newspaper.
Long then dragged the woman inside the house and beat her with a broom handle, the Salisbury Post reported.
Long has previously been convicted of misdemeanor false imprisonment in 2013.
