In a place where the elite sip cocktails and summer dreams come alive, the story of Sara Burack unfolded quite differently.
While others were arriving in private jets or lounging by beachside mansions, Sara was dragging a pink suitcase through the streets of Hampton Bays—quietly fading into the background.
Once a real estate powerhouse, regularly rubbing shoulders with the wealthy in the Hamptons, Sara’s life took a dark turn that no one could have imagined.
From Lavish Listings to Living on the Streets
Just a few years ago, Sara Burack was living the high life.
As a top realtor with Nest Seekers International, she sold luxurious multimillion-dollar homes and was admired for her sharp eye, elegant presence, and success.
She had the house, the car, the network—it all looked perfect from the outside.
But in the final months of her life, all that shimmer was gone.
Homeless and carrying her life around in bags, she was seen asking local businesses for cardboard boxes and showering at Planet Fitness.
Her decline stunned many who had once seen her as destined for stardom, possibly even reality TV fame.
Familiar Face, Unfamiliar Circumstances
Locals who knew her name, or at least her face, found it hard to reconcile the glamorous woman from the past with the solitary figure walking town streets.
One local, Michael, said Sara still had that “movie star” aura with her signature blonde hair and full lips.
He was stunned to learn she was homeless.
Others recalled the heartbreaking sight of her alone, often on foot or hopping on a bus, her pink suitcase in tow.
On June 19, Sara stopped at a 7-Eleven—one of her regular haunts—and then headed west into the dark, foggy night.
A Night of Tragedy on Montauk Highway
Sara was walking along Montauk Highway in the early hours, her suitcase trailing behind her, when the unthinkable happened.
Just before 3 a.m., she was struck by a vehicle outside Villa Paul Restaurant.
The driver, Amanda Kempton—a 32-year-old marine biologist—allegedly didn’t stop.
Sara’s life ended in the middle of the road, under the shadows of a silent sky.
Earlier that night, she had stopped at a local taxi depot and asked for a cardboard box.
According to an employee there, she seemed agitated and unkempt, and carried everything she owned.
He hadn’t known her past but wasn’t shocked.
“In this business, I see the rise and fall of people,” he said quietly.
A Witness Finds Her in Her Final Moments
Marijan “Mario” Crnkovic, a mason and commercial fisherman, was driving home after working a night shift when he saw something odd in the road.
He turned around—and found Sara lying motionless.
Her body was twisted, bleeding, and barely hanging onto life. Mario stayed with her, holding her hand and praying.
At one point, Sara lifted her hand—just briefly—before her strength left her.
Emergency responders arrived, but it was too late.
She was pronounced dead at Stonybrook Hospital.
The Details Paint a Harrowing Scene
Mario was shaken by what he saw.
He described her wearing brand-new black Heely’s and having a designer bag nearby.
Jewelry—including a diamond tennis bracelet—was scattered on the pavement.
To him, it was clear this wasn’t a minor hit.
He believed she had been hit at high speed and dragged over 100 feet—no skid marks, no signs of braking.
He was outraged. “There’s no way the driver didn’t know they hit someone,” he said.
The tragedy struck close to home—his own father had died in a hit-and-run years before.
A Suspect Comes Forward—but Questions Remain
Amanda Kempton was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident.
She maintains she thought she had struck a traffic cone.
Her next court date is set for June 30.
On a quiet Monday afternoon, a woman who bore a resemblance to Kempton was seen on a porch nearby, visibly shaken.
When approached, she refused to comment but admitted quietly, “It was a tragic accident.”
Remembering the Woman Behind the Tragedy
For those who truly knew Sara, her death wasn’t just tragic—it was deeply unfair.
One of her closest friends said Sara was someone who always put others first.
She fundraised for leukemia research, advocated for animal rescue, and stood proudly on her own two feet.
“She never wanted handouts,” the friend said.
“She made her own way. And no matter how hard things got, she still carried herself with pride.”
That same friend was at the hospital when Sara was taken off life support.
The pain was raw: “She didn’t deserve to die like that—in the street, like trash.
The doctor showed us the brain scan. She never stood a chance.”
A Final Farewell Under the New York Sky
Sara Burack was laid to rest in a Jewish graveside ceremony at Mount Lebanon Cemetery in Glendale, Queens.
Her final resting place, her friend shared, is on a hill where the skyline of New York City can be seen peeking through the trees—a quiet, almost poetic ending to a turbulent life.
As the Hamptons continues with its glitz and glamour, the memory of a woman who once dazzled in its world lingers in whispers.
Sara’s fall from grace was steep, but her life meant more than her tragic ending.