Driver Arraigned In Hamptons Hit-And-Run Crash That Killed Teen

WAINSCOTT, NY — A young man charged after a hit-and-run crash in Amagansett on Aug. 10 that led to the death of an 18-year-old was arraigned Wednesday morning in Riverhead.

Daniel Campbell, now 20, of Montauk, was arraigned and indicted on the charge one count of leaving the scene of an accident without reporting, a felony, before Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice Richard Ambro, according to his attorney, Edward Burke, Jr.

Samtani's family was visiting the Hamptons from Hong Kong, where they live, as they prepared their son for his first semester at New York University. The crash happened at 11:35 p.m. on Old Stone Highway near Eastwood Court when Campbell, 19, of Montauk, was driving north in a 2012 Honda Pilot and struck Devesh, who was walking in the road, police said.

Campbell drove off and was arrested at his home at 2:43 a.m. Wednesday morning, police said. Campbell was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident, police said. Samtani was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital, where he died, police said.

At the arraignment, Omar Almanzar Paramio, attorney for for Samtani-Kurani family, alleged that after the crash, Campbell went home, traded his car for his parents', and went to meet a friend. Paramio said that later, police found that Campbell had checked Long Island bus and train schedules on his phone and said that Campbell's family owned properties in Westchester County and Pennsylvania.

Burke said that Campbell works at his family's clothing store in Montauk and has no prior involvement with the criminal justice system.

"This was a horrible accident, a horrible tragedy," Burke said.

Ambro said he was not able to set bail due to New York's bail reform law; he released Campbell on his own recognizance but said he must appear at court dates or face a bench warrant. Due to the "gravity of the charges," Ambro said he would continue the conditions of a supervised release program that have been in place since the arrest. He is due back in court on Feb. 16.

Addressing reporters outside the courthouse, Burke said he didn't want to speak in "legalese. Simply, on behalf of my clients and his family, we offer our sincere condolences for the loss of Mr. Samtani. It was a horrible, horrible tragedy and we want to express our sorrow. This is something they have wanted to say for many, many months."

Burke added that the roadway where the crash occurred was "extremely narrow, and very dangerous."

In October, Patch spoke with Mala Samtani on the loss of her son.

Samtani, she said, had written and designed a book, "Ash's Birthday Party," to help children navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Samtani's family — the entrepreneurs behind the Hong Kong-based "As Seen on TV" gadgets — worked with New York University to create a scholarship for students in financial need. A foundation has also been created to do good works in his name, his mother said, as her son was committed to helping others

But despite the plans to honor him, Samtani said was she struggling to survive without her son. "I feel so lost," she said.

At night, Samtani sleeps in her son's bed, his photo beside her, hugging his clothing tightly in her arms. "I wish I could say that this was just a bad dream but as time goes by you realize this was a nightmare," she said. "And it actually happened."