Death by car and alcohol in combination is more frequent on Long Island than in most of New York, so it is not surprising that the same judge, Rudolph H. Bruer, has had two cases within the last year in his court involving five fatalities on a small, beautiful stretch of Suffolk County’s North Fork.

Over the weekend, four young women died when a pickup truck crashed into the stretch limousine that they and four friends were taking as a prudent measure for a tastings tour in the North Fork wine country.

The driver of the pickup truck, a local man named Steven Romeo, 55, who runs a boatyard, was arraigned in his hospital bed on charges of driving while intoxicated. Bail was set by Justice Bruer at $500,000 cash or a bond worth $1 million.

As it happens, Justice Bruer was also on duty in Southold Town Justice Court in December when a prominent businessman from the North Fork, John Costello, was arraigned on a charge of driving while intoxicated.