Crime & Safety
Real Estate Broker Arrested After Crash That Injures Woman, Child
A mom and her 3-year old son were both airlifted after the crash Tuesday, police say.
BRIDGEHAMPTON, NY — A real estate broker who was recently fired from the firm he founded was charged with driving while impaired by drugs in a Bridgehampton crash that injured a mom and her 3-year old son Tuesday, police said.
At 11:23 a.m., Southampton Town Police responded to Montauk Highway at the intersection of Newlight Lane to investigate a crash.
An investigation revealed that Erica Beremeo Palacios, 31, was driving a 2008 Nissan Altima north on Newlight Lane when she entered the intersection and collided with an eastbound 2019 Ford F150, police said.
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The F150 was being driven by Robert K. Futterman, 60, of Sag Harbor, police said.
Palacios and her son were airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital via Suffolk County Police Department aviation; their injuries were minor, police said.
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A sobriety test was administered on Futterman by a Southampton Town Police Department drug recognition expert and the test revealed that Futterman was operating while his ability was impaired by the use of drugs, police said.
A mother and child were airlifted following an accident on Montauk Highway, by Newlight Lane in Bridgehampton Tuesday. A portion of the highway is shut down while police investigate. https://t.co/XJTJKZoxFa pic.twitter.com/E9xuRDhf2l
— East Hampton Star (@EHStar) July 23, 2019
He was arrested and charged with driving while ability impaired, a felony; two counts of seventh degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor; and unlawful possession of marijuana, a violation, police said.
Traffic was diverted for two hours while the crash was investigated; both vehicles were impounded to Southampton Town Police headquarters, police said.
Futterman was held overnight for morning arraignment, police said.
Futterman was arrested just a few days earlier, according to Sag Harbor Village Police Chief AJ McGuire. According to McGuire, Futterman was arrested on July 16 at 1:20 p.m. and charged with BWI after striking the anchor chain of a yacht; he was arraigned that day and released on $1,000 cash bail. McGuire said Futterman was also arrested on June 21 and charged with driving without an interlock device.
Therealdeal said that Futterman, the former head of retail brokerage RFK, was fired from his firm at the end of May for "erratic behavior."
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