A 35-year-old hedge fund executive was accused of driving drunk in New York on Aug. 13. The Kerrisdale Capital Management founder and chief executive officer was involved in a two-car accident at about 3 a.m. in the Hamptons. It was reported that that the accused driver collided with a Ford SUV while he was traveling on Montauk Highway near Bluff Road.
When police interviewed the two drivers after the accident, each claimed that the other had crossed the double yellow line. Police handed the hedge fund executive a ticket for speeding and booked him for drunk driving after he refused to submit to a breath test. Reports indicate that the man was also charged with cocaine possession.
He was taken to the East Hampton Town Justice Court after the accident, but his arraignment was postponed until his next court date. The other driver sustained injuries in the accident, but it was not known whether they were serious. Kerrisdale did not immediately release any public statement concerning the charges that were filed against its CEO.
A person who is involved in a car accident may refuse to take a breath test, but the refusal could result in a license suspension and increased suspicion of DUI. A criminal defense attorney may be able to help a driver who has been charged with DUI after refusing to take a breath test to argue that there was a legitimate reason for refusing the test. Even if people had no alcohol in their system, they may have been concerned that acid reflux would cause a false breath test reading.
Source: New York Post, “Hedge fund exec faces DUI charges in Hamptons car crash,” Chris Perez, Aug. 15, 2016
