Almost One Year After Deadly Limo Crash, Residents Demand: Where's the Green Turning Arrow?

North Fork, NY — Under sunny blue skies on a June Friday, the scene at the intersection of County Road 48 and Depot Lane in Cutchogue seems bucolic and calm.

But July will mark one year since the greatest tragedy the North Fork has arguably ever seen, when four young women were killed in a horrific limo crash at the site.

What began as a day out enjoying a beautiful North Fork day of wine tasting, with stops including Vineyard 48 in Cutchogue, turned into unspeakable tragedy when their limo was T-boned by a pickup truck. Brittney Schulman, 23, and Lauren Baruch, 24, both of Smithtown, Stephanie Belli, 23, of Kings Park, and Amy Grabina, 23, of Commack, all lost their lives.

Injured in the accident were Joelle M. Dimonte, 25, of Ellwood, Melissa Angela Crai, 23, of Scarsdale, Alicia Arundel, 24, of Setauket, and Olga Lipets, 24, of Brooklyn.

Today, residents are outraged that despite the fact that Suffolk County installed a new traffic light at the intersection this year, no green turning arrow was included.

In the days after an ABC7 Eyewitness News report last month showed that limos are continuing to make U- turns at the site, residents are demanding answers — and action.

Cutchogue resident Susan Tyler, who lives near the accident site, believes the turning arrow is critical.

“Having a ‘yield on green’ means you are relying on the common sense and judgement of drivers, which, as we have seen, is severely lacking," she said. "It’s really no different than having no light at all. It makes no sense to me. If there were a green turn arrow, at least there would be no oncoming traffic for the morons driving oversized vehicles who will continue to attempt U-turns that they shouldn’t be making.”

For years, Southold Town Police Chief Martin Flatley has said that limo drivers coming from vineyards make U-turns that are impossible due to the size of their vehicles, posing safety hazards.

Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell spoke about the problem Friday. "A turning light seemed like the common-sense solution," he said. "However, I am not a traffic engineer, so the County Department of Public Works would have to weigh in why they didn’t go that route."

No study commencing for green turning arrow

Patch spoke to Gil Anderson, commissioner of the Suffolk County DPW, who said it doesn't seem a green turning arrow is coming anytime soon.

"If we were to put that turning arrow in, we would have to study it," he said. "Given the volume, I don't believe right now it's warranted."

Instead, Anderson said, the problem is that the large limos should not be making lefts on the road at all, since they're too large for the U-turns, although U-turns are allowed on County Road 48.

The limos, he said, end up having to make three-point turns in traffic, with motorists behind them stuck waiting while the limo drivers try to maneuver the turns. A green turning arrow, he said, "wouldn't have helped in that tragic accident that took place. That was all driver error."

Anderson said the county, as of right now, is not studying the idea of a green turning arrow. "We just installed the signal, and we're keeping an eye on things," he said.

The greater issue, he said, is that there is no regulation of the limousine industry; stretch limos could be 30 or 35 feet long, each with a different turning radius.

"Most engineers design around the turning radius per size of the vehicle," Anderson said. "These are kind of random. It would be difficult to design an intersection to them."

New Jersey, he said, often uses a "jug handle" rather than creating a center turning lane, but that solution involves the purchase of land and many years to build.

Anderson reminded that the traffic signal at Depot Lane was not installed as a response to the accident; it had been planned for months and deemed necessary, he said.

Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski, who had initially said a green arrow was being considered for the site, said Friday that while "we're all concerned about the safety of all intersections" in town, "we need to rely on our traffic engineers."

Statewide solutions pondered for limousine regulations

Meanwhile, Bob Sullivan, who filed a notice of claim for Steve Baruch, father of Lauren Baruch, who died in the crash, said while he believes an arrow is "an obvious" thing to do, it's not a long-term solution.

As for the traffic signal installed, he said, "The solution they selected is nothing more than political correctness. It was a nonsensical solution."

There are about 100 spots on County Road 48 and throughout town where limos can make U-turns, he said. "So to solve the problem for one of them at the spot where the accident happened solves absolutely nothing for the other 99 spots."

Instead, Sullivan believes legislation should be passed statewide, picking a determined number of feet, for example, 15, for any vehicle, whether truck, limo or bus, and saying anything longer would not be allowed to make a U-turn. "If you pass that law, it solves everything for the thousands of intersections in New York State," he said.

He added, "If we have an accident now in Mattituck and put a light in, then wait for an accident in Greenport, to put another light in, it's absurd. This is a simple solution. It's so obvious and yet, they don't do it."

Residents cry out for answers

In Southold, residents have been imploring the town board to take action to prevent tragedy from happening again.

Cutchogue resident Bill Shipman came before the town board and brought up a recent report by ABC News that involved a videotape showing that limos are still making U-turns at the intersection of Depot Lane and Route 48 where the young women were killed.

He said the issue of U-turns is still critical.

"I don't think we have ever disagreed," Russell said. "You are misrepresenting our view."

The road, he said, is a county road, and any work would need both the input of both Suffolk County Department of Public Works and Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski.

Shipman said police enforcement at the intersection is critical.

Flatley, Russell said, covers not only Route 48, but the entire town, which has "many dangerous intersections, and we're trying to patrol all of them."

Shipman said he's come before the board for years. "I told you this was happening," he said.

Shipman said he's been asking for enhanced efforts on Route 48 for five years to see the situation addressed.

"It was addressed, but not to your satisfaction," Russell said. "We don't have the manpower. We've explained it to you a hundred times. We have bad intersections in Greenport and other areas in town and police have to also enforce every motor vehicle law, including drunk driving and speeding."

Shipman said tragedy could strike again. He said he warned the board on August 12, 2012, that the intersection was deadly.

"I told you something was going to happen and it happened," Shipman said. "I am telling you now if it's still not addressed, something is going to happen again. This community doesn't want this to happen again."

He said he was asking for targeted enforcement at that location. "I understand it's a big town and there are a lot of problems but four people died because of the problems."

Flatley said since last summer's tragic accident the police department has added another officer to its highway patrol unit, affording better coverage for all traffic enforcement. Those units, along with normal sector cars, have been assigned for enforcement at the location and have written summonses for unsafe U-turns and other infractions, he said.

The police department simply cannot assign an officer all day long throughout the weekend at the one location but is attempting to cover it to the best of its ability, realizing that with no presence at the site, the likelihood of unsafe U-turns increases, the chief said.

Police have also witnessed limousines and buses avoiding the deadly intersection by traveling to alternate locations to perform safer turns to direct them westbound safely, he said.

"All of our officers are acutely aware of the severity of last summer's tragic motor vehicle accident that claimed the lives of four young women at this location," Flatley said.

After the meeting, Russell told Patch, "It is a very dangerous intersection. Although it was the scene of a horrific accident, we have many in Southold. Despite this, the police department has committed considerable resources to monitoring the site."

Limo driver charged with criminally negligent homicide

In March, drivers involved in the fatal limo crash in Cutchogue that left four young women dead were arraigned, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota.

Limo driver Carlos F. Pino pleaded not guilty to four charges of criminally negligent homicide, four counts of assault, failure to yield the right of way, reckless driving, turning at an intersection, failure to yield the right of way, failing to stay in a designated lane, and failing to file a required report upon an accident, Spota said. Cash bail was set at $50,000, bond at $100,000.

Steve Romeo of Peconic, who was driving the pickup that T–boned the limo, pleaded not guilty to two counts of driving while intoxicated and one charge of driving while ability impaired by alcohol; he was released on his own recognizance.

At a press conference, Spota said according to the accident reconstruction, it was impossible for Romeo to have avoided the crash.

"If perfectly sober, Steven Romeo could not have avoided this crash. If intoxicated, Steven Romeo could not have avoided this crash," Spota said. "It was simply unavoidable from Romeo's perspective."

According to data collected and analyzed from the reconstruction of the crash and witness accounts, including five additional witnesses who were at the intersection at the time of the crash, Spota said the investigation found Pino had “limited sight lines looking into westbound traffic” because a Jeep Liberty was positioned in the intersection waiting to turn left onto Depot Lane.

“Despite the fact that the main westbound travel lanes were not visible, the limo driver, Carlos Pino, failed to take any precaution or any action to make sure he could safely enter the westbound travel lanes and he continued to make the U-turn," Spota said.

Pino told police at the crash scene he did not see any traffic, Spota said. "There is no evidence that demonstrates he (Pino) ever came to a stop."

Because of the profile of the Jeep Liberty in the intersection, Romeo, the driver of the truck traveling at approximately 55 miles per hour westbound, did not see the limousine enter the intersection until he was approximately 200 feet away, effectively making a collision unavoidable, Spota said.

Romeo had only 200 feet to react to the hazard he saw and stop his vehicle, Spota said.

Traveling at 55 miles per hour, it would have taken Romeo 1.6 seconds to perceive the limo in his path, to realize he must apply his brakes, and then to begin braking, Spota said, leaving Romeo with even less distance —129 feet — to avoid a crash, which was impossible, Spota said. Experts said at 55 miles per hour, any driver would have needed 263 feet to stop and avoid the crash.

“Romeo can be held criminally responsible for driving while intoxicated, but he cannot be held criminally responsible for the crash. The person who is criminally responsible for the crash is Carlos Pino and Carlos Pino alone," Spota said.

Spota said an exact replica of the limousine was used in the accident reconstruction.

The limousine, owned by Ultimate Class Limousine Inc., was transporting the eight women passengers touring local wineries on July 18, 2015, Spota said; at approximately 5:11 p.m, the limo, while making a U-turn at the intersection of Route 48 and Depot Lane in Cutchogue, was broadsided by a pickup truck.

After the accident, many implored Suffolk County to install a traffic signal at the intersection of County Road 48 and Depot Lane.

But, despite the fact that a traffic signal was later installed on Depot Lane — no green left-hand turning arrow was installed, igniting an outcry from residents.

In March, Krupski said a green turning arrow could be coming soon. “There’s been lots of talk, but nothing has happened formally yet,” he said.

Krupski said in March residents who feel a green turning arrow should be installed on the traffic signal should send written letters and emails to his office to add to those that have already been sent. Then, he said, the Suffolk County Department of Public Works could review the matter.

It’s possible to add a green turning arrow, Krupski said at the time. ”We got it added in Mattituck, on Wickham Avenue,” he said.

A call to the Long Island Island Limousine Association with request for comment about what was being done to educate drivers about dangerous U-turns was not immediately returned.