Guilty Plea In Hit-And-Run That Killed Teen: 'Give Me Back My Son'

AMAGANSETT, NY — Mala Samtani sat outside the courtroom in Riverhead Friday, cradling a photo of her son, Devesh, who died at 18 last year after a hit-and-run crash in Amagansett. In her arms she also tenderly held her son's T-shirt, his favorite — the T-shirt she sleeps with every night and has never washed, because she can still find his scent in the soft cotton.

Mala and her husband Kishore — who has a tattoo of his son's face on his right arm and his son's nickname, "Devu", on his left, below his heart – traveled from Hong Kong and India Friday for the court appearance scheduled for Daniel Campbell, 20, of Montauk, charged in the hit-and-run.

Both said although they are asking for justice they are dismayed that it might not be served: On Friday, Campbell pleaded guilty to an indictment charge of felony leaving the scene of a crash with injuries before Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice Richard Ambro at the Arthur J. Cromarty Criminal Court complex.

According to Ambro, sentencing was set for September 22; at which point he said he'll honor a plea deal that will allow Campbell to do six months of community service in lieu of six months in jail, as well as five years' probation.

Ambro said the agreement was contingent upon Campbell's behavior during the next weeks; he also has waived his right to an appeal and must face a mandatory suspension of his driver's license, Ambro said.

Campbell, who appeared in court flanked by his parents and his attorney, Edward Burke, Jr. told the judge that he understood the terms of the guilty plea.

After the court appearance, Burke made a statement, stating that Campbell has wanted to "express his remorse and acknowledge responsibility or his actions," something he said he will do at the next court date on Sept. 22. "He did just that, he pled guilty to the single count in the indictment. On Sept. 22 we look forward to addressing the Samtani family, to show his remorse, to show that he's been thinking, to show the family the type of person that he is. . .and express our condolences."

The Samtani family, however, said their voices were not heard in the probation report; they hope to speak out. But, Kishore said, while he hopes it might make a difference and possible jail time, he is not hopeful. "We think it's a done deal," he said.

Kishore said he came on the same flight his son was on, a year ago — before tragedy struck, and when Devesh was heading to the Hamptons for a family reunion before he was slated to begin classes at New York University.

On Aug. 13, 2021, Devesh, 18 died after the hit-and-run crash in Amagansett four days earlier.
The crash happened at 11:35 p.m. on Old Stone Highway near Eastwood Court when Campbell, who was driving north in a 2012 Honda Pilot, struck Devesh, who was walking on the side of 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. The SUV he was driving reportedly had 10 people inside. Samtani was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital, where he died, police said.

Of the possibility that Campbell will serve no jail time, Kishore said, "We are not happy about it. It's a bad example."

Samtani and his family would like to see some jail time served, they said. "We are not vengeful people," he said. "But how is this possible? You hit and kill someone and run away and you just walk away scot free? It's not fair."

Jail time, they agreed, would give Campbell time to reconcile "that what he did was wrong"— and also would serve as a deterrent to keep other young people from leaving the scene of a crash.

He and his family have no words, Kishore said. "Our son is not coming back. Their son will always be there, giving them hugs. He'll be in the house."

He added, "Life has totally changed." One of their two older sons, he said, had been studying at Pace but after the crash, left the United States and refused to come back to graduate. "He told them to mail the degree, he said.

His wife, she said, doesn't eat, doesn't sleep. "She is shattered," he said.

Kishore said while Burke said his client was remorseful Campbell and his family have never spoken to them. "He doesn't even look at us," he said. "His parents don't look at us."

Only two of the girls in the car that night asked to be let out; those girls took photos of Campbell's license plate, Kishore said.

Kishore said he and his family were always led to believe that some jail time was a possibility; the news that the decision would be made for community service came as a shock, he said. "It is not fair for us," he said, adding that he wanted to tell his family's side of the story to the probation office, hopeful some change might happen by sentencing.

Of what the loss has meant to his family, Kishore said, "We are finished."

Mala, Devesh' mother, also spoke outside the courtroom: "Give me back my son," she said. "My son cannot come home with us. Please explain why I cannot get my son back — and the boy that killed my son can go scot free just with community service and probation. It's not fair. That's not justice."

Holding her son's photo, her voice breaking, stroking the photo of his face with her hand, he added: "Look at him. Does he deserve to die?"

Mala said the pain is as vivid as a year ago. "It's the same as Day One. It's the same loss today."

Driving to the Hamptons, exactly one year since she first came with her son a year ago, she relived those moments.

"It's the worst nightmare we cannot be fine. People say time will heal wounds. That's our son, how can time heal? I was just thinking, as we drove here, that in life, people have problems. If you have a health issue, you get it fixed; if you have financial issues, you get it fixed. When a life is taken, how do you get it fixed? You cannot."

Reflecting on last August 5, Mala said: "What made me come here? I don't know. If I could play it back, I would never come here, never. I would have kept my son at home, safe."

Kishore said he is totally numb; even when he got the tattoos to honor his son, he felt nothing. "I'm just helpless. Helpless."

Mala said she still talks to her son. "I told him, the least we can do is to get justice for you. You lost your life. And we lost everything."

Looking at the tattoo on her husband's arm, she said, "That's my baby. . . I want to go where he is, and not be in this world."

Samtani said he is left with his memories, and with videos of his son, just 18, in his coffin.

He was declared officially dead 72 hours after reaching the hospital, he said.

Samtani said he watches four videos every day: One of his son, lying in the grass on the side of the road "in a pool of blood." Another, with Campbell reportedly driving away; another of him, at the hospital, begging his son to stay strong; and the last talking with this boy at the memorial hall, his son in a coffin.

"I live with this," he said. "My life is not coming back." Campbell, Samtani said, "killed my whole family with one strong hit. My wife cries every day and every night. My kids are as numb and scared as I am. As for Devu, we all miss him a lot, a lot, a lot."

Samtani said losing his son "broke down my family. I am broken. But I am staying strong because I have to be the support for my family."

And while he and his family have worked to create scholarships and a foundation in memory to his son, educating 46 children in Hong Kong in the subject of math, because Devesh loved mathematics, the loss is a thick blanket over his life and those of his wife and two older sons.

"I am empty," he said.

Asked, if he could speak to his beloved son one more time, what he would say, Samtani spoke quietly. "Be happy, where you are," he said.

Sunita Kurani, Devesh's grandmother, said she remembers him playing outside with her other grandchildren in the Hamptons, just hours before he died. "After that, I didn't see him again. I cry every day, every morning when I get up. Every day until I die, I will remember him."

She added: "My happiness will never come back. We will never be the same. And now, we only want justice."

Devesh's cousin Kabir Kurani was with him the night of the hit-and-run. "I remember everything about that night," he said. "I have flashbacks, so there's no way I can forget."

He also cried out for justice. "He drove, he hit him, and he didn't stop," he said. "No intent to save him. If he was there, maybe we wouldn't all be here today."

Remembering that night, he added: "I was scared. I was just looking for someone to call an ambulance. There was no cell service. I was scrambling to find cell service – to find someone to help us."

Jeff Kurani, the brother of Devesh's mother Mala, said he had a message he wanted to convey. If Campbell receives a sentence of probation or community service, "this criminal act will continue to cause tragedy," he said. "More families will continue to lose loved ones. If no strong punishment is served here, this will continue in the future. You should never allow the driver in a hit-and-run to walk free — can you imagine what kind of example that's setting for others?" he said. "All the judge will be doing is encouraging others to do the same. There should be serious consequences. The judge has to make it right."

Mala Samtani also shared her unspeakable grief with Patch last year, just two months after her son's death.

"I feel so lost," she said. "The pain is stabbing in my heart, every second. I can't sleep, I can't eat ... People ask me, 'Are you feeling better?' How can I feel better? It's the same loss. My son is still not with me. . . I can't live without him."

In January, Campbell was arraigned in Riverhead on the charge one count of leaving the scene of an accident without reporting, a felony, before Ambro, according to his attorney, Burke, Jr.

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.

Addressing reporters outside the courthouse earlier this year, 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.

Mala, speaking on the loss of her son last year, said he 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."

Devesh loved playing chess. He also loved basketball, soccer, tennis and cricket, as well as water sports and playing the piano, Samtani said.

But most of all, he loved his family, including his father Kishore and brothers Kunal and Viren, Samtani said.

She and her youngest son shared an irreplaceable bond.

"Every birthday, every anniversary, every Mother's Day, he'd bake me a cake with his own hands. He loved going into the kitchen and surprising me," she said. "I'm going to miss that so much. It's not going to be the same now."

Her son also used to bring her breakfast in bed on special occasions. He'd accompany her willingly to Hindu services —and to the store, never letting her carry a grocery bag. He greeted everyone with his big, easy smile and welcoming words, she said.

Thinking about the crash, Samtani is wracked with anguish. "How could you hit somebody like that and not stop? Maybe if he had stopped, my child could have been saved. His error has cost my son his life. There is no way I can get my son back. He's shattered us."