Guldi Suffers Minor Injuries In Westhampton Accident On Tuesday

Former Suffolk County Legislator George Guldi suffered minor injuries when he lost control of his sedan and struck a tree in a Westhampton neighborhood on Tuesday morning, six days after being released from prison when a state appellate court threw out his 2011 felony conviction.Mr. Guldi, 64, was driving on Stewart Avenue, which connects Old Riverhead Road with the former Air Base housing in Westhampton, at around 9:55 a.m. when he attempted to retrieve an item from the vehicle’s rear seat and inadvertently turned the wheel too sharply, according to Southampton Town Police Lieutenant Susan Ralph. She said Mr. Guldi’s vehicle, a Toyota sedan, struck a curb and came to rest after hitting a tree.Mr. Guldi suffered minor injuries and was transported by ambulance to the Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead, according to police.Westhampton Beach Fire Department 3rd Assistant Chief Kevin Raynor, whose department responded to the single-car crash, said Mr. Guldi’s Toyota sustained heavy front-end damage.Lt. Ralph said that Mr. Guldi is not facing any charges stemming from the accident.Mr. Guldi, who spent the past six years in an upstate prison after being convicted on felony grand larceny and insurance fraud charges stemming from the destruction of his former Westhampton Beach house in 2008, was released on his own recognizance last Wednesday, July 12.His release came exactly a week after the State Supreme Court’s Appellate Division, 2nd District, threw out the felony charges after ruling that one of the jurors should have been removed since she worked for the insurance company that had accused Mr. Guldi of misappropriating more than $860,000 in funds that should have been used to rebuild his Griffing Avenue home in the village.Prosecutors said they intend to appeal the appellate court ruling, a process that could take upwards of two months, and Mr. Guldi was released without bail until the appeals process runs its course. As part of his release, Mr. Guldi was permitted to stay with a cousin somewhere in Suffolk County, though prosecutors declined to provide an exact address.He is scheduled to return to State Supreme Court in Riverside on September 13. If the prosecution’s appeal is denied, Mr. Guldi would then be re-arraigned on the two felony charges, according to the Suffolk County district attorney’s office.