Benjamin Sheen-Waltzer admitted fleeing after his pickup truck struck and killed 67-year-old pedestrian Angel Asitimbay
HAMPTON BAYS, N.Y. — A Southampton man pleaded guilty Wednesday to leaving the scene of a crash that killed a 67-year-old pedestrian, closing a case prosecutors said was pieced together through broken GMC emblem fragments, surveillance video and the pickup truck’s GPS data.
Benjamin Sheen-Waltzer, 34, admitted to leaving the scene of an incident without reporting, a Class D felony, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
The March 6, 2024, crash killed Angel Asitimbay of Hampton Bays, a familiar figure in the community who was walking along Springville Road with a shopping cart filled with bottles and cans.
Pedestrian struck from behind
Prosecutors said Sheen-Waltzer was driving a 2024 GMC pickup truck near Neptune Avenue at approximately 5 p.m. when he struck Asitimbay from behind.
The impact threw Asitimbay forward, leaving him on the shoulder of the southbound lane. Bottles and cans from his shopping cart scattered across the roadway.
Asitimbay was taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving. Sheen-Waltzer left without reporting the crash, prosecutors said.
“This defendant cared more about evading responsibility for his criminal actions than rendering aid to the man he struck,” District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said.
Missing letter becomes key evidence
Investigators recovered an “M” from a GMC emblem among the debris at the crash scene.
Surveillance video from Hampton Watercraft & Marine on Springville Road captured Sheen-Waltzer’s pickup with front-end damage and the missing letter, according to prosecutors.
Southampton Town police traced the vehicle to his residence, where officers found the truck without its complete GMC emblem. Investigators later recovered the “G” and “C” pieces from another vehicle allegedly registered to Sheen-Waltzer at his workplace.
Data obtained through a search warrant for the pickup’s GPS device was consistent with Sheen-Waltzer’s route before and after the fatal collision, prosecutors said.
Sentencing set for November
Sheen-Waltzer entered his plea Sept. 16 before Acting Supreme Court Justice Anthony S. Senft Jr. He is scheduled to return to court for sentencing Nov. 16.
Attorney George Duncan represents him.
Under New York Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 600, leaving an injury crash without reporting becomes a Class D felony when the victim dies. The law also authorizes a fine of between $2,000 and $5,000 in addition to other penalties.
The case adds to continuing concerns surrounding deadly hit-and-run crashes across New York. In another Suffolk County case, a Selden driver admitted striking a pedestrian, moving her from the roadway and fleeing.
Shore News Network continues to track major crime, courts and public safety developments across the region.
