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A Bad Week for Pedestrians

Thu, 10/02/2025 - 12:22

An 11-year-old boy was taken to the East Hampton Emergency Department with minor injuries after being struck by a Chrysler S.U.V. in an East Hampton crosswalk on the afternoon of Sept. 22.

Melva R. McLaughlin of Sag Harbor, 87, the driver, told town police that a "sun glare" had prevented her from seeing the boy in the crosswalk as she was turning left from North Main Street onto Cedar Street. The boy's elbow was bruised in the impact, and an ambulance was called to take him to the Pantigo Road facility for treatment. 

Another pedestrian was struck late Saturday night in Sag Harbor, by a Mercedes Sprinter van that then fled the scene. 

Sag Harbor Village police were called to the intersection of Hampton Street and Hillside Drive shortly before midnight, where they discovered, scattered across the roadway, a hubcap, a cellphone, pieces of the van's side mirror, and a case of beer. The pedestrian, who officers judged to be intoxicated, told them he'd had six beers before being hit. He had visible bruising to his upper left back and left elbow, and E.M.S. was called in for evaluation, but he refused transport to the hospital and was picked up by his mother, who told officers she would monitor him for the rest of the night.

Police found a serial number on the recovered pieces of the mirror, and, through a review of Flock camera footage, identified the Mercedes van that had been in the area around the time of the incident. The next morning, an officer called Gabriel Rivadeneira Samaniego of East Hampton, 38, its owner, and asked him if he'd been driving in Sag Harbor the night before and remembered hitting anything, to which he replied, "I know I hit something, I didn't know it was a person."

He was told to report to police headquarters, where he further stated that he'd been on the phone with his boss at the time of the incident, and had pulled over afterward to tape up his damaged side mirror so he could get home. Police said he asked them, "How is the guy?" 

He was charged with leaving the scene of an accident with injuries, a misdemeanor, and released with an order to appear in Justice Court later this month.
 

On the Police Logs 01.08.26

A white van had been parked outside his house in Wainscott for about an hour, a caller reported Saturday evening. An officer drove over, saw the van parked outside the house with its hazard lights on, and spoke to the driver, who identified himself as an Amazon employee.

Jan 8, 2026

Witnesses Disputed His Story

A Hyundai sedan overturned Monday morning after striking a landscaping truck on Toilsome Lane, injuring the Hyundai’s driver, whose account of the accident was questioned.

Jan 8, 2026

Failed to Signal and Keep in Lane

A local man is facing two drunken-driving felony charges after a traffic stop in East Hampton on Friday night.

Jan 8, 2026

Assault With Glass Alleged

A Bay Shore woman was arrested on a felony assault charge early Saturday morning at a residence on Old Montauk Highway in Montauk.

Jan 8, 2026

 

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