Driver in deadly Hamptons hit-and-run sentenced to 90 days in jail; victim's family outraged
AMAGANSETT, N.Y. -- It was a tragedy outside a Hamptons summer party last year when an incoming New York University freshman was struck by a car and killed.
The young driver fled the scene.
That driver faced a judge for sentencing Thursday, but as CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff reports, the victim's family was left feeling the punishment does not fit the crime.
A large contingent of heartbroken family and friends from Hong Kong filled a Suffolk courtroom. The mother of Devesh Samtani clutched his photo, seeking justice she says a fell short.
The 18-year-old was killed outside an Amagansett party police had broken up in August 2021. The driver who left him mortally injured will spend only 90 days behind bars.
"He is going to come back and his life is going to become fine in a few months, but for us, our family is gone for life," Mala Samtani told CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff. "For me, it's a life imprisonment for myself because I have to live the pain all my life."
Twenty-year-old Daniel Campbell, of Hastings-on-Hudson, was visiting his parents in Montauk the night of the crash. He was behind the wheel of an SUV filled with nine passengers.
After striking Devesh, he did not call 911 and even allegedly made efforts to flee the state. He later blamed a panic attack, saying his judgement was altered by sports concussions.
The judge promised no jailtime -- there were no drugs or alcohol -- but leaving the scene of an accident.
The victim's family was outraged.
"That felt very bad. It was like, we felt like..." said Kishore Samtani, the victim's father.
"Our child's life didn't matter. That's what we felt, that our son's life didn't matter," Mala Samtani said.
The judge reversed his no jailtime promise, he said, when he later learned of Campbell's driving record -- three prior car crashes, including one for driving the wrong way, and a speeding ticket.
Campbell was sentenced to 90 days in jail, 90 days of community service and five years of probation. Judge called the sentence "fair and reasonable."
Campbell tearfully addressed the victim's family for the first time in court Thursday, saying, "I wish I could express how sorry I am for ruining all of your lives. I would give anything to change that night."
"Within an hour of this horrendous incident, there was that tremendous panic, and within that hour, he was confessing to law enforcement," defense attorney Ed Burke Jr. said.
"He was apologetic, but he still did not admit about his speeding, and, which, I don't believe that he was driving at 25 miles an hour," Kishore Samtani said.
Family and friends are grateful for some time behind bars.
"Hopefully, he'll learn from it, and other people who see him as remanded maybe will think twice about leaving the scene of an accident," said Benjamin Brafman, an attorney for the victim's family.
"I don't know how someone can learn by just doing that. Like, it's such a horrible thing to do, to run away," said Dhilan Panjabi, a friend of the victim's.
Friends remember Devesh as a caring, kind, intelligent young man who would never flee a fatal accident.
Friends and family have created a foundation in Devesh's memory. It provides scholarships for deserving students.
