Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 36-year-old Cuansharee Palmer of Buffalo has been arraigned by State Supreme Court Justice M. William Boller on an indictment charging her with one count of Manslaughter in the Second Degree, two counts of Vehicular Manslaughter in the Second Degree, four counts of Aggravated DWI with a Child (Leandra’s Law) and two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child in connection with the death of her former husband, 39-year-old Donnell Sharp. 

The indictment involves an incident that occurred on April 30, 2017, at 5:00 in the morning on E. Morris Avenue in Buffalo.  The victim had exited his ex-wife's SUV outside his home, but was later found pinned beneath the defendant’s SUV after it jumped a curb, hit a tree and a set of sidewalk steps. Buffalo firefighters extricated Sharp from under the vehicle, but he died at ECMC. 

According to the indictment, Palmer was driving with a BAC of .15, nearly twice the legal limit with the couple’s two children, a three and a five-year-old in the backseat. 

Palmer pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on $30,000 bail. 

If convicted of all the charges, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 19 years in prison. 

DA Flynn commends the Buffalo Police Department Accident Investigation Unit and Trooper Troy Ford of the New York State Police for their investigative work. 

Assistant District Attorney Patrick B. Shanahan is prosecuting the case. 

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