NY Developer Pleads Guilty In DWI Crash That Left Passenger Dead: DA

SAG HARBOR, NY — Sean Ludwick, the New York City real estate developer who drove drunk and left his passenger on the road in Sag Harbor to die after an accident in the summer of 2015, pleaded guilty Tuesday, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota,

Ludwick, 44, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of a fatal crash and aggravated driving while intoxicated, Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota said.

Ludwick, who apologized during his plea to the family of the victim Paul Hansen, was sentenced by State Supreme Court Justice Fernando Camacho in Central Islip to 3 to 9 years in state prison; 3 to 9 years for the top count of aggravated vehicular homicide, 1 to 3 years for leaving to scene, and 1 year for the aggravated driving while intoxicated charge — all to be served concurrently in an upstate correctional facility, Spota said.

The district attorney’s office will recommend Ludwick be sentenced to a 5 to 15 year sentence, Spota said.

Justice Camacho scheduled sentencing for October 18.

“The defendant’s blood taken five hours after the crash had a blood alcohol level of .18 percent, and the collision reconstruction by Sag Harbor Village Police, the New York State Police Forensic ID & Collision Reconstruction Unit and the district attorney’s Vehicular Crimes Bureau we believe clearly established that the defendant left the scene in his damaged Porsche, traveling more than a block away where police found him and his disabled car on Woodvale Street,” DA Spota said. .

Real estate broker Hansen, 53, of Sag Harbor died at the scene in front of his house on Rolling Hill Court East where Ludwick struck a utility pole at a curve on August 30, 2015.

In March, a judge denied a motion to dismiss charges, according to Spota; an application was made by Ludwick's defense attorney William Keahon seeking dismissal of the indictment.

According to the judge's decision . . ."the court finds sufficient legal evidence was adduced to establish the commission by the defendant of each offense charged in the indictment."

In addition, the judge said the instructions given by the Spota and the assistant district attorney to the grand jury were "sufficient" and release of the grand jury minutes was "not necessary."

According to Camacho's decision, the defense filed a motion to suppress the chemical test results of his blood at the time for crash, alleging "misrepresentations;" the judge denied that motion.

When Ludwick was arrested, his charges included: two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, vehicular manslaughter, operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, leaving the scene of an accident, driving with a blood alcohol level over .18 percent and reckless driving, among others.

In January, 2016, Justice Camacho ordered Ludwick held without bail; the defendant was incarcerated in the Suffolk County Correctional Facility, Spota said.

At the time, Justice Camacho remarked that after listening to the defense attorney at the time and the Chief of the Vehicular Crimes Bureau of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office, John Scott Prudenti, he was ”not confident that any amount of bail would guarantee the defendant’s return to court,” Spota said.

An investigation found that Ludwick performed internet searches, and accessed news stories with information of interest to a person contemplating the life of a fugitive, Spota said.

Examples of the stories include: “Five Countries with no U.S. Extradition Treaty,” “Panama —United States Relations,” “Are The High Seas A Criminal Paradise?”

According to Spota, Ludwick,was returned to Suffolk County by United States Marshals Service and other federal authorities in response to a bench warrant issued by Justice Camacho.

He was arrested at his home on Brick Kiln Road in Sag Harbor by Southampton Town Police, Spota said.

Ludwick, while in Puerto Rico, allegedly made inquiries about purchasing a boat large enough to travel to South America, and also had allegedly made or was trying to make arrangements to take sailing lessons, Spota said.

Ludwick originally pleaded not guilty to the 13-count indictment with charges including aggravated vehicular homicide at his arraignment earlier in 2016, according to the DA.

State Supreme Court Justice Camacho explained before remanding Ludwick to jail that the court had been notified of Ludwick’s activity in Puerto Rico by employees of the island hotel where he was a guest, and that the information prompted the immediate issuance of a bench warrant to compel Ludwick to return to court as soon as possible.

Ludwick allegedly crashed his 2013 Porsche into a utility pole in Sag Harbor in August, 2015, fatally injuring his passenger, Hansen, 53, the DA said.

An investigation by the Vehicular Crimes Bureau established that Ludwick allegedly removed the victim’s body from his sports car and then tried to drive away from the scene, Spota said.

The heavily damaged Porsche and Ludwick, who police said was intoxicated, were found about a quarter mile away, the DA said.

Spota, in announcing the indictment, said Ludwick’s blood had a blood-alcohol content of .18 percent four hours after the fatal crash.

Keahon did not immediately return a call for comment.