Assemblyman involved in fender bender
New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele was involved in a car accident in Riverhead Saturday, though neither he nor the other car’s driver was injured, authorities said.
Police said Mr. Thiele, 56, was driving west on East Main Street in a 2008 Chevrolet about 10:30 a.m. when he hit a 2002 Nissan driven by 24-year-old Erin Hardy of Riverhead.
Ms. Hardy was making a turn into a driveway on the street’s north side when Mr. Thiele struck her front passenger side door, police said.
Mr. Thiele, who represents the state Assembly’s 2nd District, which spans Long Island’s entire South Fork, said he had just left a meeting with local flood victims at First Baptist Church of Riverhead when the crash happened. He was headed to the Stony Brook Southampton campus to brief students on the school’s ongoing efforts to remain open, he said.
Mr. Thiele said he had cut through downtown Riverhead after stopping at a nearby 7-Eleven.
“I stopped to get a soda, which was really a mistake,” he said.
He said the other driver failed to signal as she turned in front of him. “I hit the brakes, but I didn’t really have a lot of time,” he said.
He said he was not hurt, though his car is currently being repaired.
