Charged in Cyclist’s Death | The East Hampton Star

A Southampton man charged with drunken driving on May 2 after his car struck and killed a bicyclist on County Road 39 has been indicted by a grand jury on multiple felony charges, including manslaughter. Jesse Werner Steudte, 21, pleaded not guilty to the new charges at his arraignment Tuesday in the Central Islip courtroom of acting Supreme Court Justice Fernando Camacho.

Neil S. Fyfe, 29, a professional golf caddie from Aberdeen, Scotland, was biking home from his job at the Sebonack Club in Southampton when he was struck and killed by an eastbound 1990 Jeep. “Civilians in the area immediately started C.P.R. on Fyfe,” police said in a statement released the next day. He was taken by ambulance to Southampton Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

According to Neil Metcalf, who covered the story for BBC Radio Scotland, Mr. Fyfe was an extremely popular man whose death shocked the Aberdeen community. Friends set up a memorial for him on a local news Facebook page called FubarNews.

Mr. Steudte consented to have his blood drawn at Southampton Town police headquarters, as is done in the event of an alcohol-related fatality. According to the grand jury indictment, the results showed his blood-alcohol level to be .08 of 1 percent or higher. A .08 or higher reading triggers a drunken-driving charge in New York State.

Police closed the busy highway, congested with Friday-evening eastbound traffic, for seven hours as detectives, assisted by the district attorney’s vehicular crime unit and a forensic identification and collision reconstruction unit from the state police, reconstructed the sequence of events. According to the indictment, Mr. Steudte ran a red light just before the accident.

He faces three felony charges: one of manslaughter, for recklessly causing the death of Mr. Fyfe, and two of vehicular manslaughter. He also faces two drunken-driving charges and possession of marijuana.

If convicted of the manslaughter charge, he would be sentenced to prison for anywhere from 1 to 15 years.

Crash Victim Identified as Sag Harbor Woman

The Suffolk County Police Department on Wednesday identified a woman killed in a hit-and-run crash on Monday as Alison Pfefferkorn of Sag Harbor.

Apr 17, 2024

Lieutenant Seeks Damages in New Lawsuit

On March 27, a previously confidential legal document related to an ongoing complaint by Police Officer Andrea Kess against East Hampton Town and its Police Department became public when it was filed in a federal court as evidence in a new civil rights lawsuit, brought by Lt. Peter Powers of the town police. Lieutenant Powers is charging that the document, known as a “position statement,” has harmed his professional and personal reputation.

Apr 11, 2024

Drivers Face Felony Charges

East Hampton Town police have levied felony charges against three drivers on local roads within the last two weeks.

Apr 11, 2024

On the Police Logs 04.11.24

Police responded to the East Hampton I.G.A. shortly after 5 p.m. on April 1 after the manager called in a report of an “unwanted guest.” After an investigation, a 38-year-old man was arrested and charged with two counts of petty larceny: one for taking 24 cans of beer and leaving without paying for them; the other for taking a white Huffy bicycle that did not belong to him. He was released on his own recognizance to await a court date.

Apr 11, 2024

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