Tammy Robinkoff, Riverhead Republican chairwoman, charged with DWI after allegedly hitting 5 parked cars

The chairwoman of Riverhead’s Republican Party Committee is facing DWI charges after she allegedly crashed into five parked cars and a home Sunday evening, according to police and town justice court records.

Tammy Robinkoff was driving a Honda Fit on May 24 and left the scene of several crashes in the mile-and-a-half stretch between 131 West Main St. and Further Lane, where she lives, according to police reports.

Robinkoff first sideswiped a parked Nissan sedan on West Main Street at about 7:16 p.m. and continued driving east, according to an accident report. She then struck a parked pickup truck on Sunrise Avenue and continued driving, the report said. 

After turning onto Further Lane, Robinkoff reportedly struck the rear passenger side of a parked Nissan before reversing and striking and damaging another vehicle, basketball hoop, garage, concrete stairs and telephone pole, according to police and justice court reports. Robinkoff continued driving east and struck a parked Ford SUV on its driver’s side about 75 feet west of Daly Drive.

Robinkoff, who was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident, admitted drinking at a VFW hall for “about two hours, three hours,” according to a police officer’s statement contained in court documents. “I had about six Coors Light at the VFW,” Robinkoff told police, the statement said. She was arrested and taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center for evaluation, according to a charging document.

Robinkoff pleaded not guilty at her arraignment, her attorney, Steven Losquadro, said Friday. Losquadro is also counsel to the Suffolk County Republican Committee. 

"Chairwoman Tammy Robinkoff will focus on her well-being and medical conditions, some of which surely contributed to this incident," Losquadro said in a statement to Newsday. "In addition to not commenting further on this personal legal matter, Mrs. Robinkoff appreciates the expressions of concern and support offered by many to not only herself, but her family."

Robinkoff, 60, was reelected to a two-year term to lead the town’s Republican committee last June. According to Suffolk County payroll records, Robinkoff made $96,974 in 2024 as an election forms processor for the county's Board of Elections.

Riverhead Police Chief Ed Frost did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

Further Lane resident Keri Smeraldi described a chaotic series of events that unfolded on her block Sunday evening.

“The window was open just a little bit, and we heard something go smack,” Smeraldi, 37, said in a phone interview Friday.

Ring camera footage shared with Newsday shows the Honda Fit bringing Smeraldi’s basketball hoop to the ground before it screeches into reverse and hits flower pots.

The video then shows the car driving forward over a lawn and clipping a utility pole before it heads east. Frantic voices can be heard in the background yelling “Get out of the way!” and “Call the cops!”

Sunday’s dreary weather kept Smeraldi’s two children from playing outside, where they can usually be found, Smeraldi said.

“It was very lucky. I’m very thankful nobody was hurt,” she said.

Smeraldi said her 17-year-old son, who recently got his license, is “distraught” over the incident, which totaled one of the family's vehicles.

“He doesn’t have a car; he played basketball every day,” she said, adding that "it was the scariest thing." She said she did not know Robinkoff personally.

Robinkoff is due to appear in court Wednesday.

Newsday's Grant Parpan contributed to this story.