Sean P. Ludwick, a 42-year-old New York City real estate developer, was charged on August 31 for driving while intoxicated, after an accident resulted in the death of a passenger in his car.
Ludwick was driving a 2013 Porsche convertible on Rolling Hills Court East, located in Noyak, according to The East Hampton Star. With 53-year-old Paul Hansen in the passenger seat, Ludwick hit a curb and crashed into a utility pole — on the very same block where Hansen’s house was located. Hansen was ejected from the vehicle during the impact and died at the scene.
Ludwick, however, was well enough to continue driving; he sped away from the scene, leaving Hansen alone and in the road. The crash occurred at approximately 2 a.m., according to the New York Post, but it didn’t take long for authorities to stop him.
He reportedly drove away from the accident with two flat tires and other damage caused by the crash, and was pulled over by police cars just a short distance down the road from the accident. After the police traced his path back, they discovered Hansen already dead.
Ludwick will most likely also face charges for leaving the scene of an accident and for vehicular homicide. Assistant district attorney Maggie Bopp told the Southampton court on Monday that Ludwick refused to take a blood-alcohol test after he was taken to Southampton Hospital. Police then obtained a warrant to have his blood drawn and tested for alcohol and drugs.
While drivers have the ability to choose which type of field sobriety test they prefer to take, implied consent laws mandate that any driver must submit to a BAC test if authorities suspect that he/she is driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.
Refusing to do so results in an immediate suspension of driving privileges and jail time, as Ludwick found out. Authorities suspect that his BAC level at the time of the crash was well above the legal limit of .08%, as is the case with the majority of alcohol-related fatal crashes.
Ludwick has been held at a bail of $500,000 cash or $1 million bond, as the court determined that his past criminal record and current predicament render him a danger to the community.
Ludwick reportedly has a history of domestic abuse charges, harassment, failure to appear in court, and driving while ability impaired (DWAI).
