Hit-and-run driver destroys Southold American Legion sign days after Veterans Day
Driver demolishes Southold Legion sign days after Veterans Day
A driver demolished the sign outside Southold’s American Legion hall Saturday night and left the scene — dealing another financial blow to the veterans’ organization just days after members gathered there to honor those who served.
The vehicle tore through a recently replaced guardrail before striking the sign at Griswold-Terry-Glover American Legion Post 803, commander Dave Wilburn told The Suffolk Times Sunday.
The sign originally cost $12,000. After another driver struck it last spring, the post paid $2,500 for repairs and moved it to a different spot on the property.
“We moved it to try and not get it hit, but of course it got hit again,” Mr. Wilburn said.
Photos show broken white supports and detached panels bearing the post’s name and website scattered across the lawn. A metal guardrail lay twisted on the grass, its wooden supports knocked down.
Southold Police Chief Steven Grattan said Sunday morning that police received the report at 7:15 p.m. Saturday. The vehicle had not been located, he said.
The post, at 51655 Main Road near Tuckers Lane, sits on the outside of a sharp bend where eastbound drivers round the curve toward the heart of Southold.
The wreckage was a stark contrast to Wednesday’s Veterans Day ceremony, when veterans, residents, local officials and young people gathered at the hall for a tribute and brunch.
Mr. Wilburn said the earlier sign repair came out of the post’s general fund because its insurance would not cover a sign separate from the building. The fund holds roughly $30,000, he said, with the balance fluctuating depending on rentals and donations. A repair estimate for the latest damage was not yet available.
The damage adds another expense for an organization already working to maintain its aging property and bring younger veterans into the fold.
The Suffolk Times reported in May that members were tackling costly building and parking-lot repairs while volunteers and local contractors helped create new gathering spaces for veterans and their families.
Mr. Wilburn, who took over as commander in July after David DeFriest stepped down, said vehicles have repeatedly struck roadside signs near the post over the past six months. In one earlier crash, a vehicle went through the guardrail and across the lawn, narrowly missing a neighboring house, he said.
Southold Town had recently replaced the guardrail before Saturday’s collision, he added.
The post reported the latest crash to Southold Town police. Mr. Wilburn said he was told to leave the wreckage undisturbed for 24 hours while police investigated. The post does not have surveillance cameras.
His message to passing drivers was simple.
“Slow down. I mean, it’s a dangerous curve,” he said.
