Hartmann fundraiser set for today at Athen’s Grill
Athen’s Grill in downtown Riverhead will host a fundraiser today, June 11, for Aaron Hartmann, the 23-year-old Riverhead man who suffered serious injuries in a hit-and-run in Flanders last month.
Proceeds from the fundraiser will go toward helping Mr. Hartmann pay for his medical bills and rehabilitation costs. The event will include complimentary hors d’oeuvres and appetizers, music and a 50/50 raffle.
The 23-year-old Riverhead resident was walking along County Road 105 about 12:50 a.m. on Mother’s Day from a friend’s birthday party when he was struck by a vehicle, which fled the scene, police have reported.
Mr. Hartmann was taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center and later to Stony Brook University Medical Center with serious injuries, including swelling in his brain.
Two days after the crash, Jacqueline Celentano, 21, of Calverton was arrested in connection with the hit-and-run.
Ms. Celentano, a 2009 Riverhead High School graduate, was charged with leaving the scene of an accident with physical injuries, a felony, and was freed on $30,000 bail after pleading not guilty.
Mr. Hartmann, who returned home last week after three weeks in the hospital, has broken bones in his left leg, sees double out of his left eye, and has poor vision in his right eye as a result of the May 12 crash.
He will have to rehabilitate over the next several months to relearn how to walk, he said.
The fundraiser will run from 6 to 8 p.m. on June 11 at the Athens Grill at 33 East Main St. in Riverhead.
