Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita, III announced that 18 year-old Devin Scagnelli of 52 Blick Street in the Town of Cheektowaga, pleaded guilty as charged to Leaving the Scene of Fatal Accident before Erie County Court Judge Thomas Franczyk. This is the highest charge for which the defendant could have been convicted had he been indicted and gone to trial.  In other words, Scagnelli did not receive a so-called “plea bargain” and was prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. 

On August 24, 2014 at approximately 7:00 a.m. on Borden Road in the Town of Cheektowaga, a vehicle driven by Scagnelli jumped the curb, struck, and fatally injured 47 year-old Ricky Mullar, a pedestrian who was walking near The Lord of Life Lutheran Church. Scagnelli initially stopped and got out of his vehicle but then decided to return to his vehicle and flee until apprehended by Joseph Bashaw, an off-duty Cheektowaga Police Officer.

Scagnelli faces a maximum of seven years in state prison when he is sentenced on November 20, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Franczyk.  The case was successfully prosecuted by Kelley A. Omel, Chief of DA Sedita’s Vehicular Crimes Bureau.