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Featured Letters: Residents sound off on fatal Cutchogue crash

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To the editor:

I am appalled at the treatment of Steven Romeo through this tragedy. Innocent until proven guilty? What a joke.

I’ve always known him to be very responsible. He is an honest, hardworking man who goes out of his way to help others. When the toxicology and eyewitness reports come we will all know who is responsible for the lives of these precious young women.

After days of distorted news hype and hostile assumptions, I hope that the truth prevails and justice is served. He already will be spending the rest of his life with the horrible nightmare that was perpetrated upon him. The shock had already begun when he “walked away from the scene.” Long ago, my family was involved in a head-on accident. Bystanders had to chase after my mother who had been sitting in the back seat with her children. Walking down the street with one shoe on, no coat, freezing in the morning snow and leaving her bleeding family behind. No, she wasn’t drunk or making a run for it.

I’ve spent many years on the road and assisted in several accidents with fatalities. Judging from where the vehicle was hit, I am almost certain who is at fault. One thing for sure is this type of accident was bound to happen. Too many times have I seen a group of cars blowing their horns at an oversized vehicle making a U-turn and cutting them off. Oncoming traffic doesn’t expect the turn — especially when they are coming from the express lane, not the turn lane. The negligent driving practices of some buses and limos are putting the public in serious danger. If you can’t make a U-turn from the turn lane with certainty, you should go around the block.

My prayers go out to all involved.

Robert Chilton, Peconic resident

Photo caption: Prosecutors speak with the media after Steve Romeo’s arraignment. (Credit: Vera Chinese)