UPDATE (7/8/2024): The defendant, a 19-year-old female from Colden, was sentenced to 1 1/3 to 4 years of incarceration, the maximum sentence as a youthful offender. During the plea proceeding, our office stated opposition to youthful offender adjudication and intent to request that the court impose the maximum term of incarceration at sentencing. Due to youthful offender adjudication, our office cannot release the name of the defendant.
PRESS RELEASE (8/7/2023):
It is alleged that on February 20, 2023, at approximately 11:30 p.m., the defendant was driving at a high-rate of speed on John James Audubon Parkway in the Town of Amherst when she lost control of the vehicle on the ramp onto Millersport Highway.
The defendant is accused of recklessly causing the death of her three passengers in the crash. The victims, 18-year-old Azathiel Pabon, 19-year-old Isabella French, and 20-year-old Dakota Eldridge, were ejected from the vehicle. All three victims were pronounced dead at the scene.
The defendant and a fourth passenger, a 17-year-old male, were taken by ambulance to ECMC where they were both treated for non-life threatening injuries.
The defendant is scheduled to return on Tuesday, August 29, 2023 at 9:30 a.m. for further proceedings. She continues to be released under supervision.
If convicted of the highest charge, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
DA Flynn commends Officers Bradley Canzoneri and Brian Kern as well as Captain Kevin Brown of the Amherst Police Department for their work in this investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Chief Paul J. Glascott and Assistant District Attorney Christine O. Murray of the Vehicular Crimes Unit.
As are all persons accused of a crime, the offender is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.