East Hampton Man Indicted on Seven Charges in Montauk Crash

Andrew D. Hellman, 36, smiled for the photographer as he was led into East Hampton Justice Court earlier this month to face charges that included injuring a police officer.

Durell Godfrey

Sep. 20, 2018

Taylor K. Vecsey

A grand jury indicted Andrew D. Hellman of East Hampton on charges related to a drunken driving accident in Montauk that left an East Hampton Town police officer injured on Labor Day weekend.

Mr. Hellman was indicted on criminal possession of narcotics with intent to sell, second-degree assault, criminal possession of a controlled substance (cocaine), all felonies, three misdemeanors, driving while intoxicated and two counts of reckless endangerment, and unlawful possession of marijuana, a violation.

The seven-count indictment was unsealed in Suffolk County Criminal Court last Thursday; the grand jury had handed it down on Sept. 7.

East Hampton Town Police Officer Andrew Nimmo saw Mr. Hellman in a group that appeared intoxicated get into a sport utility vehicle in front of the Montauk 7-Eleven on Sept. 1 at about 4:45 a.m. The officer began to question Mr. Hellman, who was behind the wheel, but he sped away, according to a criminal complaint filed earlier this month.

Mr. Hellman drove out of the parking lot onto Montauk Highway, lost control of his 2001 GMC and crashed about 100 yards away, rolling the S.U.V. on its side. Neither he nor his four passengers were hurt. Officer Nimmo was treated and released from the hospital that day.

Police said they found cocaine in 20 plastic bags and a small glass bottle in the vehicle — enough to justify a charge of drug possession with intent to sell. The aggregate weight of the cocaine was one-eighth ounce or more, the complaint said. Mr. Hellman also reportedly had five pills believed to be Adderall, one believed to be Vyvanse, and two halves of a pill believed to be alprazolam.

He pleaded not guilty Monday at his arraignment, according to online court records. Justice Stephen L. Braslow set bail at $500,000 cash and $250,000 bond. Mr. Hellman is due back in court on Oct. 4.

“We have reserved our right to make a bail application pending certain conditions including, but not limited to, a proper evaluation of the defendant,” said Peter Mayer of Reynolds, Caronia, Gianelli & La Pinta. Mr. Mayer recently retired as a Supreme Court justice.