DA: Pickup Driver in Quadruple Fatal Crash Briefly Left Scene, Climbed Fence

Steven Romeo, the alleged drunk driver of the pickup truck in a crash with a limo that killed four women on Route 48 on Saturday, briefly left the scene of the accident and climbed a six-foot fence toward a steep embankment on the Cutchogue Waste Transfer Station property before police found him and brought him back to the scene, Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota said during a joint press conference with Southold Police Chief Martin Flatley Monday.

Spota began the press conference held at the Peconic Community Center by saying that “in the last week, we have surely experienced some of the most tragic losses of life due to apparently intoxicated drivers that we have ever seen or encountered in the county of Suffolk,” referring to the recent crash on the Southern State Parkway that killed three people in addition to Saturday’s accident.

Spota said that the investigation into the accident Saturday afternoon is still in the “very preliminary” stages and that officials are still waiting for important information including: the accident reconstruction results, witness testimony and the speed of the cars, among other details.

“We know that this was a gathering of young women who were behaving responsibly by hiring a limo for the day enjoying the North Fork vineyards together,” Spota said. “They knew they would be consuming some alcohol and because they wanted to act responsibly they did not chose to drive, they chose to hire the limo.”

On Sunday, police identified the four women killed in the crash as Lauren Baruch, 24, of Smithtown; Brittany Schulman, 23, of Smithtown; Amy Grabina, 23, of Commack; and Stephanie Belli, 23, of Kings Park.

Three of the women were pronounced dead at the scene and another died at a hospital following the crash.

Four other women in the limo were hospitalized. They were identified as Alicia Arundel, 23, of Setauket; Melissa Crai, 23, of Scarsdale; Joelle Dimonte, 25, of Elwood; and Olga Lipets, 24, of Brooklyn.

“We have four young beautiful women, who died in a very tragic accident; we have four who survived who certainly have suffered horrible horrible trauma, not only bodily drama, but certainly mentally,” Spota said.

All of the women, who were friends, were picked up in Smithtown and first went to LIV (Long Island Vodka) on Sound Avenue in Baiting Hollow, Spota said.

According to Spota, they spent about an hour there before the limo drove them to Vineyard 48 in Cutchogue where they stayed until about 5:15 p.m. The limo then picked them up to take them back to Smithtown, he said.

According to Spota, the limo driver then drove out onto Route 48 and at the intersection at Depot Lane, made a U-turn to go westbound and as it was turning, it was struck by the pickup truck driven by Romeo.

“The limo driver has told us he did not see any vehicle heading in the westbound lane, he did not see the red pickup truck as he proceeded to make the turn,” Spota said. ”An eyewitness, however, who was heading eastbound approaching Depot Lane to make a right turn to go south, sees the entire crash.”

The witness said he saw the limo make a U-turn and he was able to see the truck coming and told police the limo driver turned right in front of the truck, according to Spota.

Spota said police interviewed the limo driver, 58-year-old Carlos Pino, of Bethpage, extensively at the scene. There was no evidence of any alcohol or drug intoxication and Pino took a chemical test, which showed he did not consume any drugs or alcohol, Spota said.

According to Spota, about 15 minutes after the crash, Romeo, of Southold, allegedly walked away, climbed a six-foot fence and was found by walking down toward a very steep embankment on the Cutchogue Waste Transfer Station property before police tracked him down.

When he was brought back to the scene, police administered chemical tests on Romeo before an ambulance took him to Eastern Long Island Hospital to be treated for minor injuries, Spota said.

Romeo, 55, told police he had consumed beer before driving and he has no prior DWI arrests, Spota said.

He was arraigned on Sunday, where he was charged with DWI, however he has not yet processed.

He is currently in the hospital with a broken nose, among other minor injuries, according to Spota.

Southold Town Police Chief Martin Flatley said that U-turns are allowed at the intersection where the crash occurred, but he said police have taken steps to warn people and limo drivers about the turn.

Over the last few years, police have had issues with limos making difficult turns at the intersection and have issued summonses–about 10-12 a month–for failing to yield to the right of way to cars that are in the westbound lanes, Flatley said.

There is a blinking caution light, but no traffic light at the intersection where the crash occurred. The busy intersection has been the scene of numerous accidents in recent years.

Photo: YouTube/screenshot