Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 30-year-old Carlos Velez of Greenport, New York has been arraigned before State Supreme Court Justice Paul B. Wojtaszek on an indictment charging him with one count of Vehicular Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a Class “D” felony, and one count of Failure to Obey a Traffic Control Device, a vehicle and traffic law violation.

It is alleged that on October 11, 2018, at approximately 6:30 p.m., the defendant drove through a red light and collided with another vehicle at the intersection on Genesee Street and Fillmore Avenue in the City of Buffalo. The crash caused the defendant’s vehicle to project onto the sidewalk, which then hit a woman who was standing at the bus stop. The victim, 47-year-old Adrienne Early of Buffalo, died at the scene.

Both the defendant and the other driver were unharmed in the crash.

Evidence revealed that the defendant was under the influence of marijuana at the time of the crash.

Velez was remanded without bail. A return court date has not been scheduled at this time.

If convicted on the charge, Velez faces a maximum of 7 years in prison.

DA Flynn commends the Buffalo Police Department Accident Investigation Unit for their work on the case.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Christopher M. McCarthy of the DA’s Vehicular Crimes Bureau.

As are all persons accused of a crime, the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.