Bench Installed In Memory of Hit-and-Run Victim

A bench was placed on the side of Montauk Highway in Amagansett, in honor of John Judge, who was killed while crossing the street in October in a hit-and-run accident.

"I like it because it helps to turn an ugly spot and memory back to beautiful again," said Alison Lupo, whose husband, Tony, was best friends with Judge for 42 years.

Judge, 61, was leaving the Lupos' restaurant, Astro's Pizza, when he was struck on the night of Oct. 23. A passerby found his lifeless body up against a parked truck, in front of Decorum, on the south-side of the highway.

The driver and the vehicle that struck him were nowhere to be found.

Three-and-a-half months later, police located the driver, Edward Orr, and his damaged Jeep. Orr, a 31-year-old Montauk resident who was on probation at the time of the accident, pleaded guilty. He said he thought he hit a deer, and panicked when he found out he killed someone. He staged a second accident to try to explain the damage, and then had the Jeep voluntarily repossessed.

Police used paint chips and parts of a headlight found at the scene to identify the type of vehicle involved in the crash. Going through a list of all vehicles fitting the description in the area led them to Orr, police said.

Orr is serving a sentence of 2 to 6 years.

The Lupos, who considered Judge a part of their family, put money from the sale of his car toward the bench. The bench cost $1,500, with half coming from the sale and the Lupo family and the other half donated by Elaine Monroe, the owner of Decorum, and friends.

Judge lived behind Decorum, in an apartment, and helped Monroe around the store. The bench, which was placed near where Judge was found, was installed on Wednesday. The inscription on the bench reads "In Fond Memory of John Judge." 

The Amagansett Village Improvement Society ordered the bench from Hilldreth's in East Hampton, Lupo said.