East Hampton Village police are investigating who was behind the wheel of a sport utility that crashed on Friday.
An officer on routine patrol said he found a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee in the woods on the north side of Montauk Highway just east of Stephen Hands Path at about 7:40 p.m. The Jeep had hit a utility pole before crashing into trees about 15 feet off the roadway.
The Jeep was unoccupied.
The officer started to check the woods and heard someone running off. With the help of East Hampton Town police, a perimeter was set up, but they were unable to locate the person.
The Suffolk County police aviation unit was brought in for an aerial search with the help of thermal imaging for 45 minutes.
Police checked the car owner's residence, which is also in the village, but were unable to locate him. The vehicle was impounded.
Chief Jerry Larsen said on Monday that no arrests have been made. An interview with the owner has been arranged for the coming days, according to detectives.
