Virginia Woman Faces Charges After Fatal Hit-and-Run in Hamptons

A marine biologist has been arrested following a fatal hit-and-run incident involving a well-known Hamptons real estate agent. The defendant, Amanda Kempton, believed she had struck a traffic cone, her lawyer stated during her court appearance.

Kempton, 32, pleaded not guilty and was released after her family posted collateral for a $100,000 bond. She appeared emotional as prosecutors argued she posed a flight risk, citing her attempt to leave for Virginia that day to attend a wedding.

Authorities indicated Kempton had been at a tavern before the Thursday incident in Hampton Bays, where she struck Sara Burack, 40, a high-end property specialist and star of the Netflix series “Million Dollar Beach House.” Burack was walking along Montauk Highway carrying a large pink suitcase when she was hit and killed. Kempton later left the scene and went to a friend’s house, where her damaged vehicle was discovered underneath the pink suitcase.

The police tracked Kempton’s vehicle using license plate readers, locating it at her family’s residence with front-end damage. Authorities confirmed alcohol was not a factor in the case. She faces up to seven years in prison on a felony charge of leaving the scene with a fatality.

Originally from Virginia, Kempton holds degrees in microbiology and marine biology from George Mason University and Nova Southeastern University. She has worked at a museum on the East End and was employed at Camp Jekyll in Georgia this year, according to social media posts.

She was dressed in an orange sweatshirt and black slacks for her court appearance, sitting silently with her family. Kempton did not comment after the hearing. The case continues as investigators gather more details regarding the events of that night.