“Drunk Driver Crashes Into Suffolk Art Show, Narrowly Missing Security Guards, Witnesses Report”

An alleged drunk driver plowed through the center of Long Island’s art scene, leaving a trail of destroyed tents and shattered artwork — and narrowly avoiding a potential traged

The harrowing incident happened at the Montauk Art Show on the Green at around 3 a.m. Sunday, June 29.

A heavily intoxicated woman driving an SUV sped through a barricade and slammed into multiple tents at the show, according to witness Evan Reinheimer, who described the incident on a GoFundMe page.

Some artists lost everything,” Reinheimer wrote, noting that two security guards narrowly escaped being hit. The crash leveled more than half a dozen artist tents, including the Montauk Artists Association’s member tent — a central feature of the annual show and a key source of fundraising for the organization.

According to Reinheimer, both the driver and a passenger were uninjured. The driver was taken into custody at the scene.

East Hampton Town Police confirmed to the Daily Voice that the incident remains under investigation but declined to release further details, including the identity of the driver. 

Artist Mary Planding posted a photo of her destroyed tent on Facebook, writing that a suspected drunk driver had “plowed through a wooden barrier,” leaving her ocean-themed artwork in ruins. “The rest of my 2025 art fair season is over,” she added.

The GoFundMe campaign — which raised more than $10,000 in its first 24 hours — aims to help affected artists replace their displays and rebuild their inventory, according to Reinheimer.

“These art festivals are the livelihood of these artists, and the show is the primary fundraiser for the Montauk Artists Association,” he said. “These displays are not inexpensive.”

This fundraiser is intended to support the Montauk Artists Association and the artists whose life’s work was destroyed and whose businesses were devastated by this senseless accident,” the campaign. 

For updates, subscribe to our free newsletter!

Support your local news!

More News from Mount Sinai

• Your Mount Sinai weather forecast for Monday, Jun 30 - Friday, Jul 4 What to expect when you step outside
• Brentwood Man Arrested for Murder in Central Islip Killing Sunday Morning 21-year-old Alexander Reyes from Brentwood has been charged with Murder 2nd Degree in connection with the death of 46-year-old Alexander Valesquez on Sunday June 22, 2025.