Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
A 30-year-old Hampton Bays man was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated late Monday night after Southampton Town Police responded to a community call about an erratic driver, according to News 12 Long Island. The arrest took place on Memorial Day evening — Monday, May 25, 2026 — on Flanders Road near Montauk Highway in Hampton Bays.
Southampton Town Police tell News 12 Long Island that the initial call reporting an erratic driver came in around 11:30 p.m. Officers immediately began canvassing the surrounding area, and it did not take long for them to locate a vehicle matching the description. While patrolling Flanders Road near its intersection with Montauk Highway, officers personally observed the driver committing multiple vehicle and traffic violations. The nature of those specific violations — whether lane departures, failure to maintain speed, running traffic controls, or a combination — was not detailed in the initial report, but they were sufficient for officers to initiate a traffic stop.
After pulling the vehicle over, police made contact with the driver and identified him as Ricky Urbano, 30, of Hampton Bays. According to News 12 Long Island, police determined during that stop that Urbano was allegedly intoxicated by alcohol. He was subsequently placed under arrest and charged with driving while intoxicated. No injuries to Urbano or any third parties were reported in connection with this incident, and no collision was described.
The timing of the arrest — late on Memorial Day night — is notable. Memorial Day weekend is historically one of the highest-risk holiday periods for impaired driving on Long Island, with increased vehicle traffic flowing through the Hamptons corridor as beachgoers and visitors return home after evening gatherings. Southampton Town Police’s quick response to the civilian tip and their successful location of the vehicle within a short canvassing window illustrates how community-reported calls play a direct role in removing allegedly impaired drivers from the road before a crash occurs.
No additional passengers in Urbano’s vehicle were mentioned in the report. No details regarding the make, model, or year of the vehicle involved were included in the initial coverage. Southampton Town Police have not released a further statement beyond the initial arrest report published by News 12 as of the time of this writing.
Location & Road Context
Flanders Road near Montauk Highway is a central arterial stretch in the Hampton Bays area of Southampton Town, Suffolk County. The corridor sees heavy traffic volumes during the spring and summer months as it serves as a primary access route connecting inland communities to the Hamptons beach destinations further east. Montauk Highway itself is one of the most-traveled east-west roads on the South Fork, running through multiple Hamptons communities and serving as a key route for both local residents and seasonal visitors. You can track current road conditions along this corridor on our Hampton Bays roads page and find more on incidents in the town on our Hampton Bays town page.
The intersection of Flanders Road and Montauk Highway acts as a local hub for commercial and residential traffic, making late-night erratic driving in that zone a significant public safety concern. Given the volume of pedestrian and vehicle activity that the area sustains during holiday weekends in particular, the presence of an allegedly intoxicated driver on that stretch at 11:30 p.m. on Memorial Day underscores the risk that DWI incidents pose in this specific corridor.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Ricky Urbano, 30, of Hampton Bays, was formally charged with driving while intoxicated following his arrest by Southampton Town Police on the night of May 25, 2026, per News 12 Long Island. Details regarding arraignment scheduling, bail conditions, or the results of any chemical BAC testing had not been released at the time of the initial report. The case is expected to proceed through the Suffolk County court system. Further information on the legal process and what a DWI charge means for drivers in New York State can be found on our know your rights page.
Broader Impact
This arrest is the latest in a pattern of DWI incidents in and around Hampton Bays and the broader Hamptons area in spring 2026. Just one week prior, on May 18, a Long Island woman was busted for DWI after crashing near a Hamptons beach, and on April 30, a Hampton Bays woman was arrested for alleged drunk driving with a child in the car. Under New York State law, a standard first-offense DWI conviction can carry penalties including fines of up to $1,000, a minimum six-month license revocation, and potential jail time of up to one year — consequences that underscore the serious legal exposure Urbano now faces.