'That is not justice.' Family distraught over sentencing for hit-and-run driver who killed their son

The Samtani family is from Hong Kong and was vacationing on the South Fork when their son was killed.

News 12 Staff

Aug 5, 2022, 10:18 PM

Updated 797 days ago

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A family is beside themselves over a sentence they deem too lenient for the hit-and-run driver who killed their son.
Daniel Campbell, 20, pleaded guilty at Riverhead Court to the hit-and-run in Amagansett last year that killed 18-year-old Davesh Samtani.
On Friday, a judge's recommended sentence for Campbell was six months of community service and five years' probation.
"It's not fair, that's not justice," says Mala Samtani, the mother of the victim. "I'm so sorry, that is not justice."
The prosecutor had recommended one to three years behind bars.
"If he could have received some time it would have given him some time to reconcile," says Kishore Samtani, the father of the victim.
Campbell's attorney said that his defendant "had wanted to come to court and express his remorse and his feelings and acknowledge responsibility for actions and he did just that."
The Samtani family is from Hong Kong and was vacationing on the South Fork when their son was killed.
Davesh Samtani was about to start school at New York University and was already a published children's author.
His family continues to mourn his loss and now the sense that justice has not been given.
"I would rather go where he is and not be in this world," Mala Samtani says.
Campbell's attorney says his client looks forward to speaking to the victim's family at the official sentencing day, which is Sept 22.
The judge says the recommended sentence will be upheld as long as Campbell does not get in any trouble before then.