The Town of Huntington will investigate an August crash in which Supervisor Chad Lupinacci struck a pole while driving his town-assigned SUV and left the vehicle unattended.
Town Attorney Nick Ciappetta has determined that the investigation into the Aug. 8 crash near Lupinacci's Melville home can proceed without board-approved resolutions, according to town spokesperson Lauren Lembo.
Board member Gene Cook, who called for the investigation and is an outspoken critic of Lupinacci, said the crash raised a lot of questions that need answers.
"But what disturbs me the most is the leaving the scene of the accident," Cook said. "We should not be elected officials in the town if we just let this slide."
Lupinacci announced earlier this year that he would not seek reelection. Cook is running for Supervisor in November on an Independent line. Both men are Republicans.
In his first public comments about the early morning crash, Lupinacci said in an email that he is aware of two investigations.
Suffolk police are conducting an internal affairs investigation. Lupinacci did not say what other agency is investigating.
"The Town's response followed standard procedure," the supervisor's email said. "Councilman Cook is pushing for another baseless investigation based on a personal vendetta that would waste government time and tax dollars."
According to Suffolk police, Lupinacci left his vehicle unattended on the side of West Hills Road after sliding on wet pavement and striking a pole about 12:45 a.m. Police have not said where they encountered Lupinacci and what citations, if any, were issued.
Lembo said Lupinacci left the scene because he was in shock, couldn’t find his cellphone and had gone to seek help.
Cook said he was disturbed that Lupinacci's office never made board members aware of the crash. They had to rely on secondhand information and news stories, according to Cook.
The town investigation should include data from the SUV's GPS and Lupinacci's cellphone as well as all records from the crash scene and the body shop, Cook said. The findings of the investigation should be released to the public, he said.
Lupinacci should use his own car and submit his mileage for reimbursement per IRS guidelines, Cook said.
Both Deputy Supervisor Ed Smyth, a Republican and the party’s designated candidate for supervisor in the November election, and Town Board member Mark Cuthbertson, a Democrat, support an investigation.
Democratic Town Board member Joan Cergol echoed Cook’s concerns, but said the cost of an investigation is too high, especially since residents are already on the hook for the cost of the pole and vehicle repairs.
"There are other ways to get answers and I’m looking at those ways including calling for the supervisor to tell us what happened that night," she said.