Oct 8, 2015 11:29 AM
UPDATE: Tuesday, 5:30 p.m.
Southampton Town Police have identified the driver of the vehicle as Luis Ortega, 40, of Water Mill. According to police, Mr. Ortega was driving a 1997 Dodge pickup truck west on Montauk Highway in Bridgehampton when he struck Ms. Pump, who was walking in the crosswalk near the post office.
Ms. Pump, of Noyac, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said in a press release issued late Tuesday afternoon. Police later clarified that Ms. Pump was taken to Southampton Hospital by Bridgehampton Fire Department ambulance and pronounced dead there shortly after--Ed.
Mr. Ortega was arrested and charged with circumvention of an interlock device, unlicensed operation of a vehicle, and failing to yield for a pedestrian in a crosswalk. He was taken to police headquarters in Hampton Bays for processing, released for medical treatment, and is due back in Southampton Town Justice Court next month.
Friends and peers were shocked to hear the news of Ms. Pump's death Tuesday, remembering her for not only the skilled chef that she was, but for her kindness, generosity, and elegance.
"She taught me so much about cooking,” said Ina Garten, who first met Ms. Pump back in 1979 when she interview for a job at the Food Network chef's first Barefoot Contessa food shop in Westhampton Beach. “I just remember meeting her and thinking, 'I want to be friends with this woman.' She was incredibly warm and generous to me. Rather than being competitors, we were friends and supporters.”
Eric Lemonides, owner of Almond restaurant in Bridgehampton, tearfully recalled the first time he met Ms. Pump as a teenager when he first patronized the Loaves & Fishes Foodstore in Sagaponack. “She was one of my inspirations out here. Literally, literally, literally,” he said.
Longtime friend Barbara White Ford of Sagaponack often traveled with Ms. Pump and went out for weekly dinners with her after they both lost their husbands years ago. She said she will never forget how hard-working Ms. Pump was, or how much her family meant to her.
“She was full of energy. An incredible role model. And just a wonderful friend,” Ms. Ford said. “She was an amazing person. She lived life to the fullest.”
UPDATE: Tuesday, 3 p.m.
Anna Pump, an author, innkeeper and founder of Loaves & Fishes in Bridgehampton, has died of injuries she suffered when she was struck by a vehicle on Main Street in Bridgehampton on Monday evening. She was 81.
Ms. Pump owned the Bridgehampton Inn and wrote four best-selling cookbooks, the most recent being “Summer on a Plate.”
UPDATE: Monday, 8:55 p.m.
Witnesses at the scene said the victim, an elderly woman, was crossing to the north side of Montauk Highway in Bridgehampton, near the post office, when she was struck by a pickup truck heading west.
The victim was taken to Southampton Hospital by Bridgehampton Fire Department ambulance for unknown injuries.
Montauk Highway between Butter Lane and School Street remained closed as police continue to investigate the accident.
Original Story
Montauk Highway in Bridgehampton was closed between Butter Lane and School Street Monday night as authorities cleared and investigated the scene of a vehicle-versus-pedestrian accident.
According to Southampton Town Police, a call came in around 7:30 p.m. about a woman who was hit by a vehicle on Montauk Highway. Police were unable to specify the nature of her injuries.
The Bridgehampton Fire Department ambulance company also responded to the scene.
No other information was immediately available.















A huge loss!
So sad!
What a sad and senseless end to such a wonderful life. We've lost an important member of our community.
No mention is made of the driver -- did he or she stop? are any charges being filed? I hope Anna never knew what happened and died peacefully.
This brings up a critical need in Bridgehampton. The cross walks are not clearly marked and are not illuminated as they are In East Hampton. When people do use the cross walks it is nearly impossible to see them.
This is a very sad wake up call. I hope that the Bridgehampton CAC might raise funds to do what they do ...more have in the Village of East Hampton.
My condolences go out to her family. She will be missed.
Among her many accomplishments, Anna Pump set the standard for lobster salad decades ago, quite literally, as an Internet search will show. An August 2009 an article from eastendedible provides a brief overview of her career, and also gives a nice glimpse into the person IMO. Author Kelly Smith writes:
"I felt like a kid in a candy shop the first time I went into Loaves and Fishes food shop on Sagaponack Road.
" 'It looks like a little shack ...more from the outside,' laughs owner Anna Pump."
Rest in Peace.
The elements are chilling yet disturbingly almost...cinematic.
A highly successful foodie/ self-made lifestyle entrepreneur to the extremely rich and famous gets off a Jitney after a day in the city and is hit and dragged down ...more Main Street by a day worker with a bit of a troubled past driving a 20-year old pickup truck.
Worlds literally colliding.
Sort of like that other gruesome tale of the scumbab realtor smashing his Porshe in a quiet Sag Harbor cul-de-sac and kicking to the curb the dying local.
Shocking. But alarmingly familiar.
And reflective of what this place has become/is becoming.
How many times has he driven drunk - how many times without even a license?
And how do you circumvent a breath test device without breaking the law? And how do you hit a person in a cross walk - was the driver on the phone? - does he know the traffic laws - did he ever take a driving test or apply for a license?
I am no fan of Donald Trump - but THIS is the guy he is referring ...more to when he says send illegal aliens back to wherever they came from!
Voluntary manslaughter - make this guy an example and pay with every penny he has and every minute of his miserable life for what can only be termed A Wrongful Death!
No amount of restitution - no amount of community service - no amount of jail time will recover the life of this wonderful woman who has touched the lives of SO many people in such a positive, nurturing, and caring way.
The dis-balance of our society clearly shown here - cheap & illegal labor encouraged and employed at the expense of THE LIVES of law abiding tax paying pillars of the community of the United States.
OUTRAGEOUS.
I loved what the family became all these years later in Bridgehampton...well
This Sag Harbor Girl will miss you...Rest in Peace... We know that you are in the palm of Gods hands..
xo
Judian T.J.Cooney
Enchanting ...more Hideaways and COOK TRAVEL
jjudian@cooktrvae.net
Anna deserves that!
East Hampton took immediate action after the loss of John Jiras many years ago. Why can't Alex Gregor do the same for Southampton?!
Vikki K, I have absolutly ...more no desire to contact Thiel. All I did was state a fact, it's a state rd not a town road. For state issues you contact the departments within the state and he would be the big man. I personally live on a county road. Being such, I do not have leaf pick up. The county plows, repairs and maintains the road I live on and not the town. I do know that people have contacted Gregor and while he can try to help those individuals with their issues or concerns by reaching out to state or county, he is unable to force them to do what needs to be done. He works for the Southampton Town taxpayers and uses the continually cut budget, meant to tie his hands, to maintain town roads.
The one observation I do see whenever I'm crazy enough to drive into Easthampton, Bridgehampton, southampton or hampton bays are people that step out into the crosswalks without ever looking. I know that I myself have nearly struck quite a few people. I do not drink or do drugs and I drive slow when in those towns as I am aware that people step out, open doors all the way or pullout without ever looking not to mention children. We do not have stop signs at the crosswalks (yeilds) nor do all the crosswalks have signs in southampton. Easthampton does have signs to stop for pedestrians in their crosswalks and on Montauk highway before the movie theatre, they have the landing strip strobing. I drive with a dash cam as well for my protection.
I agree that no one should be hurt or killed when crossing a road and I am truly sorry for Anna Pump. She was an incredibly kind lady and I have always loved her store.
Pedestrians have a responsibility as do bicyclists, joggers etc to pay attention and look before crossing the road. It can't just be assumed that drivers will be able to stop on a dime or will be able to see them step out and start crossing especially during poor weather conditions, particular times of the day when it's sunny out or evening. I agree that it would be ideal, especially in the villages to add more lights at certain crosswalk areas since the main sts have more activity.
Again, all I did was just state whom was responsible for that road. Those folks were upset that the town highway was not addressing their concerns when the town highway is just unable to remediate the problem.
For those that commonly use those crosswalks, I would suggest folks ban together make an appt to talk with Gregor to ask for his support as well as the best approach to get the crosswalks illuminated, get a petition going and bring it to Thiel insisting that he make efforts to immediately get the engineers and state highway dept heads together to improve visibility at those crosswalks.
May you all be safe and well and to Anna Pumps family and friends, our family extends our deepest sympathies.