'No Justice': 10 Years After Deadly North Fork Limo Crash, Parents Say System 'Failed Us'

NORTH FORK, NY — Friday marked 10 years since the tragic limo crash in Cutchogue that took the lives of four young women and left four others badly injured.

Ten years that feel like just a singular heartbeat for the families left forever shattered.

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 on July 18, 2015. Injured in the crash were Joelle M. DiMonte, 25, of Ellwood, Melissa Angela Crai, 23, of Scarsdale, Alicia Arundel, 24, of Setauket, and Olga Lipets, 24, of Brooklyn.

The limousine, driven by Carlos Pino and owned by Ultimate Class Limousine, Inc., was transporting the eight young women touring local wineries on July 18, 2015, then-DA Tom 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 driven by Steven Romeo.

Romeo pleaded guilty to driving while ability impaired by alcohol, a traffic infraction, in 2017.

The limo driver, Carlos Pino, 58, of Bethpage, was charged with criminally negligent homicide, failure to yield the right of way and other charges in an indictment but Justice Fernando Camacho dismissed the indictment.

Speaking with Patch this week, Paul Schulman, who lost his daughter Brittney in the crash, said the grief remains raw, coupled with outrage.

"10 years with no justice and no closure," he said. "The justice system has failed the familes. We have seen similar incidents over the years where families have gotten justice — closure. All we have is broken promises and more questions."

He added that a memorial "was ripped from the crash site with no explanation — and we are still trying to have a permanent one placed there. We see hundreds of memorials throughout the roadways on Long Island but it seems we aren't allowed to have one – adding insult to injury to the families."

In 2021, the tribute set up to honor four young women who died in the 2015 crash was, once again, inexplicably gone.

At the time, all that remained by the pole on Route 48 and Depot Lane were a few purple ribbons, a bracelet dedicated to the four women, and a plastic angel on the ground.

The pole was redecorated with a temporary memorial, including photographs, flowers, and painted rocks, in November, 2020 after the original tribute at the location disappeared in October, 2020.

Town and county officials said at the time that they had no idea what had happened to the memorial.

Speaking to Patch this week, Nancy DiMonte, whose daughter Joelle survived, reflected: "Still no justice, no accountability, no closure. Sadly, after 10 years, we believe that the justice system and those who took part in this investigation failed us."

She added: "We are grateful for Officer Lake and hope one day, he gets justice."

The Lake case

Last year, Garett Lake, an ex-Southold police office who long maintained that he was wrongfully dismissed saw his long-running civil suit dismissed, according to court documents.

According to a decision by Acting Justice of the Supreme Court James F. Quinn dated January 30, "the petitioner failed to meet his burden of proof" and stated that "his termination of employment was not based on an illegal or improper reason."

The decision came after years of litigation: Lake, who was named a Suffolk County "Top Cop" for his number of DWI arrests in May 2016 and was fired just over two weeks later, sued Southold Town and stated he believed the firing was politically motivated.

Lake, who was hired on November 24, 2014, claimed he was "illegally terminated in retaliation for arresting two politically connected individuals in the community," the decision said.

Lake, who was fired on May 19, 2016, four days before the end of his probationary period, is represented by attorney Eric Bressler of Mattituck's Wickham, Bressler and Geasa, PC; his petition was initially denied in 2017 by the New York State Supreme Court. He then filed a complaint and sought damages.

The town maintained that Lake was fired for "overzealous" behavior during traffic stops.

However, Lake, the petition alleges, believes he was fired "in retaliation for his refusal to give special or preferential treatment to two influential members of the community.

Lake's initial petition stated that John Helf, Sr., then vice president of the Southold Town GOP, was at the scene of fatal 2015 limo crash in Cutchogue that left the four young women dead. Lake arrested the driver of the pickup, Steve Romeo, and charged him with DWI, police said.

"Apparently, Mr. Helf was well known to and friendly with Mr. Romeo and Mr. Helf attempted to become involved in Lake's investigation but Lake did not permit such involvement," Lake's petition read. "Mr. Helf can be seen in the video memorializing the events at the scene. As a result of the arrest of Mr. Romeo at the scene, Lake was informed by a former town board member that Mr. Helf stated at Republican events that Lake would lose his job."

On July 17, 2017, Hon. William G. Ford rendered a written decision without a formal hearing,dismissing Lake's Article 78 proceeding and stating that "judicial review of the discharge of a probationary employee is limited to whether the determination was made in bad faith or for the other improper or impermissible reasons."

Lake failed to sustain his burden of proof, Ford said.

On appeal, the Appellate Division, Second Department reversed Ford's decision on December 30, 2020.

A trial commenced in October and November, 2023; the videos in question were shown during the trial.

"After review of both videos, this court could not find any evidence of interference with the investigations or arrests, and furthermore, in both instances Officer Lake was directed by his superior officer to conduct the field sobriety examinations and was supported in the arrests of these two incidents. This is contrary to Lake's arguments," the decision read. "In spite of Officer Lake's high statistics and awards, this court did not find the requisite evidence" that Southold Town Police Chief Martin Flatley and/or the Board of Commissioners "made their decision for an improper or illegal motivation or reason," the decision added.

The decision added: "In fact, there is more than adequate evidence that the board, with the advice of Chief Flatley, made their own determination to terminate Lake based upon their own observations of his arrests, the number of complaints received, and the difference in police styles of a community-based approach. This court had the opportunity to observe the witnesses in this case and made its own determination of credibility or lack of credibility based upon those observations. Furthermore, this court had an opportunity to review the videos as well as documentary evidence submitted by both parties and after reviewing it all, finds that the petitioner failed to meet his burden of proof and that his termination of employment was not based on an illegal or improper reason. Accordingly, the petition is hereby dismissed."

Pleas for limo reform

DiMonte, Joelle's mother, served on a state task force that worked to institute new limo reform legislation.

But that task force was disbanded, she said.

This week, she told Patch: "New York State also showed poor judgment when our elected officials ended the limousine safety task force, which was designed to augment the enforcement of our bills by allowing its members to continue improving the bills we crafted."

In 2020, after years of advocating tirelessly for change, parents applauded comprehensive limousine reforms agreed upon by both the Senate and Assembly.

With 154 pages of recommendations, some of the key points addressed, DiMonte told Patch, included removing limos from the road that are more than 10 years old or have driven 350,000 miles; more stringent inspection of equipment; augmented driver training and driver drug testing; pre-trip safety training for limo passengers; and enhanced side panel protection.

Despite the reforms made, more needs to be done, she and the others have said.

Last year, DiMonte told Patch that she is working to advocate for legislation to lower the state's BAC level, and to create focus attention on those driing while under the influence of marijuana.

"We still need to improve the legislation," DiMonte said. "Too many people are on the roads while under the influence. They need to toughen up on the punishments so that people are frightened to go on the road while under the influence."

Marijuana laws need to be strengthened and the BAC level lowered, she said; the state task force she was a part of, one that organized by former New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, was dismantled as they were about to begin examining those issues, DiMonte maintains.

Reflecting on the horrific crash that took the lives of four young women with so much ahead, DiMonte said she and the other families do not believe there has ever been closure.

"It's a dreadful day," she said. "You don't forget." Her own daughter, while doing well, is, like the three other surviving women, forever marked by that dark day. Together, they look at photos of the friends they lost under those blue July skies.

"We don't want people to forget," DiMonte said. "We want people to know that this doesn't have to happen if you have the correct legislation in place."

She added: "Our sadness isn't going to go away. Our anger remains — as long as the legislation isn't going to do its job."

Still no green turning arrow

As the number of DWI-related crashes and deaths continues to spike across Long Island, DiMonte said much still needs to change. In Cutchogue, where the limo crash took place, the county has still not installed a green turning arrow on Depot Lane, one that they have asked for, for almost a decade now.

On Monday, Suffolk County Legislator Catherine Stark did not return a request for comment about the arrow.

Last year, the families of the girls who died and the survivors who were gravely injured in a the limo crash received a $6.1 million settlement, an attorney told Patch — but according to those left behind, no financial compensation can ever ease the ache of grief that still hangs heavy over all their lives.

According to Robert Sullivan, who represented the family of Lauren Baruch, 24, of Smithown, who died in the crash, the settlement for the civil suit comprised a total of $6.1 million, of which Southold Town paid $100,000.

"Money can never make up for this tragic loss," DiMonte told Patch. "It has been a long road and we have not recovered emotionally. Some still suffer physically, some with PTSD, and we still need to know why this happened. Roads are unsafe and not on the radar, as they should be."

Despite the financial settlement, DiMonte said: "I am still upset that we never learned about why this happened. Recovery from this senseless tragedy is not going to come easy. It's been uphill for too long."

Sullivan, who lives in Southold Town, said in his opinion, the town did not listen to warning signals from residents in the months before the crash: "The Southold Town board could not have cared less about the death of those four girls," he said.

He referenced the times Cutchogue resident Bill Shipman had come before the board in the months and years before the crash to publicly ask for help with the issues posed by Vineyard 48 — which has since closed — including traffic, dangerous U turns by limos, public urination, and other quality of life concerns.

"I've been complaining about this for almost four years," Shipman said in 2016, after the crash. "You tell me what I’m supposed to do. I stopped complaining — and the tragedy happened."

Then- Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell told Patch in 2023: "We have recently learned that the litigation resulting from the tragic accident involving a limousine in July of 2015 has ended. We continue to hold our thoughts and prayers in our hearts for those affected by this tragedy," Russell said.

The supervisor added: "On June 21, 2023 the court dismissed all claims filed against the Town of Southold by the attorney representing the plantiffs. In short, the judge in the case found that the claims made by the attorney had no merit and the town was not at fault. Subsequent to the decision and unbeknownst to the town, the insurance carrier representing the town made a business decision and offered a minor contribution to a global settlement offered by the target defendents in this case. We were told that the town's modest contribution was made based on the estimated costs of continuing to defend the action and the recently filed appeals. While we are confident that a decision favorable to the town would be issued once again, the town has no control over such business decisions. The negligible contribution made, and the fact that the attorney took it, is a clear indication to everyone that his case against the town had no merit and the town had no culpability."
And, Russell said: "It is time to move on and focus on road safety, not criticism, ill-will and bitterness from legal defeat, so that such tragedies never happen again."

The eight girls had just left Vineyard 48 when the horrific crash took place. Residents crying out for change said the limos leaving the winery at the time were too large for the U-turns they made Depot Lane in order to head west on Route 48.

Schulman said, after the settlement in 2023: "It's been eight-and-a-half years, and we have no accountability, we have no answers." Of the settlement, he said: "No amount of money could ever satisfy us, or bring any of them back."

He added that road safety in Suffolk County remains of critical concern.

In 2018, the lane at the entrance to Smithtown High School West, known as LABS Lane, was dedicated in tribute to the girls.

"You see these eight beautiful babies? The way I'm leaving them with you, I want them back."

Those were the heartbreaking words Felicia Baruch uttered to limo driver Carlos Pino before the Cutchogue crash.

The words were revealed as part of a 156-page New York Supreme Court Suffolk County Special Grand Jury Report in 2016, with recommendations discussed at a press conference convened by then-Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota.

"We hope that no other families on Long Island ever go through what we did — and still do," DiMonte said this week.