Driver Accused of the Hit-and-Run Death of Million Dollar Beach House Star Sara Burack Says She Thought She Hit a Traffic Cone

The woman accused of killing Sara Burack in a hit-and-run incident in Hampton Bays, N.Y., has spoken out for the first time.

Amanda Kempton, who was arrested on Friday, June 20, appeared in court for the first time on Saturday, June 21, when she pleaded not guilty to the felony charge of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident involving a fatality, according to the New York Post.

Kempton’s lawyer told the court that the woman thought she had hit a traffic cone in the incident, and that alcohol is not considered a factor in the case, the outlet reported.

According to the New York Post, the marine biologist was emotional as prosecutor MacDonald Drane requested that the judge give her a higher bail, since she had allegedly initially fled the scene of the crime and was scheduled to return to Virginia for a wedding on June 21.

The prosecutor also claimed that Kempton, 32, allegedly spent time at a tavern prior to the hit-and-run incident, per the outlet.

Leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident is a class D felony in the state of New York. Kempton could face up to seven years in prison.

Kempton was released from prison on $100,000 bail, according to the New York Post, which cited officials during her arraignment. Her family, who live on Long Island, put up collateral in lieu of the money, the outlet said.

The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office (SCDA) and the Southampton Town Police Department (STPD) did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on the case on June 21.

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Burack, who appeared in the Netflix series Million Dollar Beach House, was fatally injured in the alleged hit-and-run that occurred on Thursday, June 19, at approximately 2:45 a.m. local time. She was 40.

The real estate agent, who was a resident of Southampton, was found unconscious on Montauk Highway near Villa Paul Restaurant, according to authorities. After being found, she was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital, where she died from her injuries. 

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The successful luxury real estate broker was a former agent with Nest Seekers International, located in The Hamptons and New York City, per Greater Long Island. 

Burack previously told Hamptons.com in 2020 that her “family has a commercial construction material sales business that I spent many years of my life working for,” and that she had “been spending half the year in the Hamptons for the past 11 years.”

She added, “It was only natural to turn my love for real estate into a blossoming career.”

Million Dollar Beach House was released on Netflix in 2020.