Door Knock, Then a Crash

East Hampton Town police officers were investigating a suspicious knock on a door at a house on Hawthorne Street in Springs on Jan. 20 when they heard the sounds of a car crash. They found that a car had hit a tree on Fort Pond Boulevard, 200 feet south of Walton Street, at about 1:35 a.m., but the driver was no longer there. 

Officers could make out someone running in the shadows on Lincoln Avenue, however. The car was a 2006 Toyota sedan, with the ignition running and the headlights on, Capt. Chris Anderson said.

Maria D. Galo-Deyanes, a 36-year-old who lives on Runnymeade Drive in Springs, was found and taken into custody at 3:22 a.m. Captain Anderson said police linked her to the call they received from Hawthorne Street at about 1:20 a.m., asking that they check the well-being of a woman who had knocked at the door. 

Ms. Galo-Deyanes appeared intoxicated when police found her and admitted to drinking “a couple of Coronas,” Captain Anderson said. She told police she was making a left turn from Hawthorne Street onto Fort Pond Boulevard when she accelerated too quickly and struck a tree on the north side of the road. Police believe she panicked when she saw their lights.

She was charged with driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor. East Hampton Town Justice Lisa R. Rana released her on her own recognizance. 

Police also arrested Judith S. Haleston, 64, of Manhattan after an officer saw her almost drive into a tree on Friday night. She was in a 2018 Mercedes C30 on Town Lane, near Spring Close Highway, at about 9:50 p.m., when police said she drove off the roadway. She appeared intoxicated and was unsteady on her feet when questioned outside the car, according to the report.

Ms. Haleston was charged with misdemeanor D.W.I. She was held overnight and Jusice Rana released her on her own recognizance.