Single Mother’s Car Totaled
A Sag Harbor single mother with a 2-month-old son has been left without a vehicle, after her 2005 Jeep Cherokee was taken without her permission and destroyed, the driver crashing into a LIPA pole, and then into a tree Saturday night in Springs.
According to police, Ronald A. King, 39, the alleged driver, attempted to flee on foot, but several witnesses reported the accident. The crash occured at the corner of Three Mile Harbor Road and Manor Lane. The Jeep was totaled, and Mr. King wound up with two black eyes and several abrasions. Power was out in the area for about half an hour.
Mr. King was arrested and charged with drunken driving as a felony. Because he had been convicted of felonies at least twice before, bail could only be set in County Criminal Court, and he was taken to jail in Riverside, where he was expected to spend at least the next five days.
In addition to the drunken driving charge, Mr. King is facing a felony unlicensed driving charge and two misdemeanors — unauthorized use of a vehicle and leaving the scene of an accident.
Because of his injuries, he was taken to Southampton Hospital, where he was treated and released. He allegedly had refused to take a breath test at headquarters.
The owner of the Jeep, Carmen Moreno, said Tuesday that she did not know Mr. King. She had left her car with a friend, Mark Wesnofske, to repair at about 9 p.m. An hour later, she received a call from the East Hampton Town police. Her vehicle had been totaled. “I have no way of getting around. It’s become a nightmare,” Ms. Moreno said, explaining that she had only liability insurance, and will have to bear the cost of the lost car on her own.
Mr. Wesnofske told police Mr. King had shown up at his door, staggeringly drunk, asking if he wanted to hang out. Mr. Wesnofske said he told Mr. King to go home, and closed the door. A couple of minutes later he heard the sound of tires burning out. He looked outside and the Jeep Cherokee was gone; he called police immediately.
Ms. Moreno was having trouble with the Jeep’s starter, and said that she was surprised that someone could have started it at all, let alone so quickly. She was at police headquarters on Tuesday to retrieve various items from the wrecked car, a stroller among them. Police are holding onto the car, which is in the impound yard, and most of its contents as part of the felony investigation.
In East Hampton Town Justice Court to be arraigned on Sunday, Mr. King exercised his right to defer the process until his scheduled court appearance today before East Hampton Town Justice Steven Tekulsky.
“The district attorney’s office has until the end of the day Friday” to get an indictment, Justice Tekulsky said. If none is obtained by then, he will be released.
Mr. King’s most recent felony conviction followed a crash on Cedar Street in 2013. Also in a Jeep, he was able to drive away that time. Then, as now, a witness phoned police and later identified him as the driver. Police then found Mr. King behind the wheel of the damaged vehicle, motor still running, in a driveway on Oak View Highway.
Ms. Moreno’s sister has started a GoFundMe page to try to raise the money for a replacement vehicle.