Domino Collisions in a Montauk Parking Lot

Parking lots across town, crowded with Christmas shoppers, were the scenes of several vehicular accidents last week.

In Montauk, in the lot behind White’s Pharmacy, the owners of the business pulled up parallel to the rear of the store, where they frequently park, on the evening of Dec. 23. Claudia Trott was behind the wheel of a 2015 Land Rover owned by her mother, Deryn Trott, who was in the passenger seat.

The younger Ms. Trott put the car in park, or so she thought, and got out, walking toward another car also parked parallel to the rear of White’s. Her mother got out at the same time and walked around the back of the vehicle, in order to get behind the wheel.

That was when chaos broke loose, according to the police report. The Land Rover had been left not in park but in reverse, and it began moving backward. Claudia Trott had left the driver’s door open, and it struck her. She fell to the ground, cutting her head.

Her mother jumped into the driver’s seat, attempting to regain control, but turned the wheel as she did, so that, according to the police sketch, the car was now doing a semi-circle, headed, in reverse, toward several other parked cars. Deryn Trott also told police that she might have hit the gas pedal instead of the brake.

This set off a domino effect of collisions. The rear of the Land Rover crashed first into the rear passenger side of a 2007 Hyundai, then into the driver’s side of a 2007 Chevrolet pickup, which was propelled into the driver’s side of a 2000 Chevrolet van.

Claudia Trott was taken by ambulance to Southampton Hospital, where she was treated for multiple head cuts. Two women who were in the Hyundai did not require medical attention; the other two vehicles were unoccupied.

The Chevrolet pickup appeared to be the worst for wear, with extensive damage. It was towed to B&B Auto Service in Montauk.

No injuries were reported after a Christmas evening collision in the 7-Eleven parking lot in Montauk. Gloria Praeger, a Montauk resident who was parked right in front of the store, backed her 2014 Toyota Suburban into the side of a 2011 Land Rover, parked parallel to the street-side inner curb. The three occupants of the parked car did not require assistance.

Another Christmas Day parking lot collision happened outside Brent’s Deli in Amagansett. A 2003 Infiniti stopped on Cross Highway at the Montauk Highway traffic light was struck by a 2005 Chevrolet pickup truck, which was backing out of the parking lot on the west side of Brent’s. Gary Darenberg of Montauk, the driver of the pickup, told East Hampton Town police he didn’t see the other vehicle.

Back in Montauk, no injuries were reported in a Saturday afternoon parking lot collision at Gurney’s Spa. Naomi Kaltman of Manhattan was backing a 2004 Land Rover out of a parking spot and did not see the 2015 Ford in the adjacent space, she told police. The front of the Land Rover struck the passenger-side doors of the Ford.

Another collision, this time on a road, required a trip to the hospital for a 16-year-old passenger. William Forster of Sag Harbor, driving a 2015 Dodge pick up truck, was stopped on Merchants Path in East Hampton, waiting to turn onto Route 114, when a 2000 Ford pickup driven by Jairo Quesada rear-ended it, hard. The Dodge spun around and ended up on Route 114 facing south. 

Mr. Forster was able to drive his truck away, but his teenage passenger, whose name was withheld because of his age, was treated for minor injuries at the hospital.Parking lots across town, crowded with Christmas shoppers, were the scenes of several vehicular accidents last week.

In Montauk, in the lot behind White’s Pharmacy, the owners of the business pulled up parallel to the rear of the store, where they frequently park, on the evening of Dec. 23. Claudia Trott was behind the wheel of a 2015 Land Rover owned by her mother, Deryn Trott, who was in the passenger seat.

The younger Ms. Trott put the car in park, or so she thought, and got out, walking toward another car also parked parallel to the rear of White’s. Her mother got out at the same time and walked around the back of the vehicle, in order to get behind the wheel.

That was when chaos broke loose, according to the police report. The Land Rover had been left not in park but in reverse, and it began moving backward. Claudia Trott had left the driver’s door open, and it struck her. She fell to the ground, cutting her head.

Her mother jumped into the driver’s seat, attempting to regain control, but turned the wheel as she did, so that, according to the police sketch, the car was now doing a semi-circle, headed, in reverse, toward several other parked cars. Deryn Trott also told police that she might have hit the gas pedal instead of the brake.

This set off a domino effect of collisions. The rear of the Land Rover crashed first into the rear passenger side of a 2007 Hyundai, then into the driver’s side of a 2007 Chevrolet pickup, which was propelled into the driver’s side of a 2000 Chevrolet van.

Claudia Trott was taken by ambulance to Southampton Hospital, where she was treated for multiple head cuts. Two women who were in the Hyundai did not require medical attention; the other two vehicles were unoccupied.

The Chevrolet pickup appeared to be the worst for wear, with extensive damage. It was towed to B&B Auto Service in Montauk.

No injuries were reported after a Christmas evening collision in the 7-Eleven parking lot in Montauk. Gloria Praeger, a Montauk resident who was parked right in front of the store, backed her 2014 Toyota Suburban into the side of a 2011 Land Rover, parked parallel to the street-side inner curb. The three occupants of the parked car did not require assistance.

Another Christmas Day parking lot collision happened outside Brent’s Deli in Amagansett. A 2003 Infiniti stopped on Cross Highway at the Montauk Highway traffic light was struck by a 2005 Chevrolet pickup truck, which was backing out of the parking lot on the west side of Brent’s. Gary Darenberg of Montauk, the driver of the pickup, told East Hampton Town police he didn’t see the other vehicle.

Back in Montauk, no injuries were reported in a Saturday afternoon parking lot collision at Gurney’s Spa. Naomi Kaltman of Manhattan was backing a 2004 Land Rover out of a parking spot and did not see the 2015 Ford in the adjacent space, she told police. The front of the Land Rover struck the passenger-side doors of the Ford.

Another collision, this time on a road, required a trip to the hospital for a 16-year-old passenger. William Forster of Sag Harbor, driving a 2015 Dodge pick up truck, was stopped on Merchants Path in East Hampton, waiting to turn onto Route 114, when a 2000 Ford pickup driven by Jairo Quesada rear-ended it, hard. The Dodge spun around and ended up on Route 114 facing south.

Mr. Forster was able to drive his truck away, but his teenage passenger, whose name was withheld because of his age, was treated for minor injuries at the hospital.

Mr. Quesada, 34, also of Sag Harbor, was issued a summons for unlicensed driving. His pickup sustained severe front-end damage and had to be towed. His account of the accident and Mr. Forster’s differed; Mr. Quesada told police that Mr. Forster had caused it by making a sudden turn in front of him.

Mr. Quesada, 34, also of Sag Harbor, was issued a summons for unlicensed driving. His pickup sustained severe front-end damage and had to be towed. His account of the accident and Mr. Forster’s differed; Mr. Quesada told police that Mr. Forster had caused it by making a sudden turn in front of him.