Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita, III announces that 48 year-old Raymond Barrett of 6783 Belle Heights Road in Derby, pleaded guilty as charged to Aggravated Vehicular Assault before Erie County Court Judge Michael D’Amico. This is the highest charge for which the defendant could have been convicted had he gone to trial.  In other words, Barrett did not receive a so-called “plea bargain” and was instead prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. 

On December 13, 2013 at approximately 1:28 a.m., while on Lakeshore Road in the Town of Hamburg, the defendant was driving a Chevy Trailblazer with a blood alcohol content of .13 % when he crossed the double yellow line and struck a vehicle driven by 21 year old Neal Wansor head on.  Neal Wansor lost his spleen as a result of this collision.  Mr. Wansor’s passenger, 19 year old Jessica Borowski, suffered serious injury to her shoulder which resulted in her needing surgery.

Barrett faces a maximum of fifteen years in state prison when he is sentenced on January 28, 2015 at 9:30 a.m. before Judge D’Amico.  The case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Lauren Nash and Bureau Chief Kelley Omel, of DA Sedita’s Vehicular Crimes Bureau.