East Hampton Police Sergeant Hurt in Montauk Crash

An East Hampton Town police sergeant, Daniel Roman, was severely injured Friday evening in an accident on Old Montauk Highway in Montauk. 

Riding west on a 2005 Suzuki motorcycle, Sergeant Roman collided head-on with an eastbound 2012 Honda Accord being driven by Stephen Lawton Weber Jr. of Baltimore. Police said Mr. Weber had been making a left turn onto an access road to Second House Road, where Old Montauk Highway splits into a triple fork in the road, when the crash happened, shortly after 6 p.m.

A Montauk Fire Department ambulance rushed the off-duty officer to the Route 27 overlook near Cemetery Road, where he was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital, the nearest trauma center.

Mr. Weber's wife, Megan, had in the Honda's passenger seat next to him. Both of their airbags deployed. She later told her mother, who was also on her way to Montauk that evening in a different car, that she had performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Sergeant Roman at the scene of the accident. According to her mother, Kathy Kaufman, Ms. Weber is a critical-care nurse.

Ms. Kaufman said she was in a car ahead of the Webers. They were to meet at Sammy's restaurant, she said, for a wedding rehearsal dinner. She did not witness the accident. 

Ms. Weber was eventually taken to Southampton Hospital, complaining of head pain; she has since been released. Her husband also complained of pain and was treated at the scene. 

East Hampton Town Police Chief Michael Sarlo thanked the Montauk Fire Department and Ms. Weber “for her quick attention to Danny.”

Sergeant Roman's wife, Julia Prince, posted on Facebook Saturday morning that he had pulled through surgery successfully, that he had no apparent head injuries, and that he was conscious. He was listed in critical condition as of noon Saturday, according to a hospital spokesman.

“Our entire department is pulling for Danny to make a full and complete recovery, said Chief Sarlo. “Many officers were at the hospital with Julia last night, and a stream of guys are in and out today. He is lucky to be alive—he spent much of the night in surgery—and right now is in good spirits and the prognosis looks pretty good.” 

Sergeant Roman is the lead officer of one of the five squads that patrol East Hampton Town and has been on the force for 14 years.

The chief said “The outpouring of support from our fellow officers and their Departments has been tremendous and much appreciated by us, as well as Julia and his family.”

With Reporting by Taylor K. Vecsey