Driver pleads not guilty in NY crash that killed 4

Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota, third from right wearing a tie, speaks with investigators, Monday, July 20, 2015, in Cutchogue, N.Y., following a crash where four young women riding in a limousine were killed in a auto accident on Saturday.

For an eastbound driver, Route 48 gently bends left after the intersection, but there is an unobstructed view of all lanes of traffic.

Spota said the limo driver has told the DA’s office that he did not see the red pickup truck, But the DA says an eyewitness claims he saw the pickup truck, and the crash.

Spota added that it’s unclear if any new charges will be filed against Romeo because the investigation is still in its preliminary stages.

Romeo was arraigned at his bedside at Eastern Island Long Island Hospital on Sunday.

Twenty-three-year-old Amy Grabina, 24-year-old Lauren Baruch, 23-year-old Stephanie Belli and 23-year-old Britney Schulman were killed in Saturday’s crash.

After his arrest, Romeo admitted to getting boozed up as he did work at his Bethpage home before the accident near the Vineyard 48 winery on the North Fork of Long Island.

The pals then went to Vineyard 48, where they were picked up around 5:15 p.m.by their limo driver to head back to Smithtown, which required the driver to make a U-turn to head westbound on Route 48.

‘The limo was turning right in front of the truck and the crash occurred at that point, ‘ Spota said.

Four women were killed in a limo crash in Long Island over the weekend. 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.

He is now in the hospital with a broken nose, among other minor injuries, reported by Spota. “There’s a lot of variables to that”, Spota said.

Steven Romeo, 58, stayed at the crash site in Cutchogue for about 15 minutes on Saturday before he walked about 1,000 feet away, climbed over a 6-foot black fence and shimmied down a steep embankment, Spota told reporters.

His lawyer, Dan O’Brien, offered condolences after the arraignment.

“They wanted to act responsibly and they did the responsible thing by not choosing to drive drunk”, he said. A spokesman for Ultimate Class Limousine said the company has operated in the region for more than 27 years and has a strong safety record.

Matthew Silver, president of Ultimate Class Limousine and a member of the Nassau Taxi & Limousine Commission, referred questions to his public relations representative, Bill Corbett Jr. It has a fleet of 18 vehicles.