Woman Injured in Montauk Hit-and-Run

James F. Regan, 51, of Garden City, the driver of a 2014 Chrysler van, was ticketed for failing to yield the right of way at the intersection of Old Montauk and Montauk Highways on Sunday. The van crashed into a Chevrolet pickup driven by John Pelaez, 53, of Montauk, who complained of pain but was not taken to the hospital.

Taylor K. Vecsey

The car was driven by an allegedly drunken driver

May. 31, 2018

Taylor K. Vecsey

A pedestrian was seriously injured in Montauk just after midnight on Friday after being hit by a car driven by an allegedly drunken driver.

East Hampton Town Police Officer Raymond Rau was on foot patrol on Main Street at the start of the busy Memorial Day weekend when he saw a 2016 Ford van headed west on the stretch of road that is part of Montauk Highway. Sofia Pitt of New York City, 26, was crossing Main Street, near South Embassy Street, when she was struck. She hit the windshield and fell back onto the street, suffering a head contusion among other injuries, according to the police report. The driver fled.

Dwayne Denton, a fire marshal on duty in Montauk that night, provided a description of the vehicle. Police quickly located it and pulled it over. Jose Romero-Flores, 33, of Corona, Queens, who was behind the wheel with a passenger, Liana Palma, 27, in the car, was charged with driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident. The van, owned by Todaro Brothers a catering company in Manhattan, was impounded.

Montauk Fire Department ambulance personnel treated Ms. Pitt and took her to meet a medevac helicopter, which airlifted her to Stony Brook University Hospital.

Justice Lisa R. Rana arraigned Mr. Romero-Flores later on Saturday morning in East Hampton Town Justice Court. He was released on $1,500 bail.

Also in Montauk, in the early morning hours on Sunday, police said they stopped a 2018 Tesla driven by Antonello T. Paganuzzi, 48, of Davie, Fla., for speeding, and found him to be intoxicated. Officer Robert P. Greene said he saw the Tesla, with California plates, driving north on West Lake Drive near Star Island Drive at 87 miles per hour in a 45 m.p.h. zone. The driver performed poorly on all field sobriety tests, the officer reported.

Mr. Paganuzzi was arrested on a misdemeanor D.W.I. charge, as well as a charge of aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a felony. His license in the State of New York was found to have been suspended twice; once for failure to pay a driver responsibility assessment, then for a charge of driving while ability impaired by alcohol.

Justice Steven Tekulsky released Mr. Paganuzzi on $1,500 bail following arraignment.

Anthony D. Sosinski of Montauk, 50, was charged with misdemeanor D.W.I. on Friday at about 8:15 p.m. Police said Mr. Sosinski, driving a 1988 Toyota, crossed the double yellow lines to pass two vehicles on Flamingo Avenue near Falcon Place, then reportedly drove slowly for several miles, failing to pull over for a police car’s lights and siren. He turned east onto Culloden Place, then onto Blackberry Place, all without signaling properly, according to the report. On Gannet Drive he failed to keep right before finally coming to a stop. Police said he appeared intoxicated and performed poorly on the road tests.

He was held overnight for arraignment in Justice Court on Saturday. Justice Rana released him on $2,500 bail.

Miguel A. Uzhca Carchipulla, 30, of East Hampton was also charged with misdemeanor D.W.I. over the holiday weekend. On Saturday at midnight, police said they found him sitting in the parking lot of the Speedway gas station, on Montauk Highway in Wainscott, behind the wheel of a 2006 Nissan Murano with the engine running. He performed poorly on all road tests, they said, and was taken into custody at 12:30 a.m.

Justice Rana released him on $250 bail.

Early on the morning of May 23, Juan Felipe Castillo-Forero, 28, of Northport was charged in Montauk with misdemeanor D.W.I. Police stopped his 2016 Chevrolet Camaro after he allegedly made an unsafe and improper turn onto South Eaton Street, swerved on Montauk Highway near South Eaton, and then drove over the pavement markings. While trying to park, the report said, he drove into a wood stanchion, damaging it.

Mr. Castillo-Forero was arraigned in the morning by Justice Rana, who released him on $250 bail.

Michael T. Scafuro, 31, of East Falmouth, Mass., was charged with misdemeanor aggravated D.W.I. on May 18 at about 1:30 a.m. He was headed south on West Lake Drive in Montauk near Flamingo Avenue, in a 2007 Jeep Liberty, with his view obstructed and no working plate lights, according to police.

A breath test at headquarters reportedly showed his blood-alcohol level to be above .18 of 1 percent.

He was released on $500 bail following a morning arraignment before Justice Tekulsky. All those charged are expected back in Justice Court in the future.