Colden Teen Sentenced for Recklessly Killing Three Passengers in Crash on Millersport Highway

Monday, July 8, 2024

Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announces that a 19-year-old female from Colden was sentenced this morning before Erie County Court Judge Susan Eagan to 1 1/3 to 4 years of incarceration. Today, the Court adjudicated the defendant as a youthful offender. Therefore, our office cannot release the name of the defendant.

On Monday, 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 recklessly caused 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 pleaded guilty to three counts of Manslaughter in the Second Degree (Class "C" felonies) and one count of Reckless Driving (unclassified misdemeanor under New York State Vehicle & Traffic Law).The defendant pleaded guilty, as charged, to all four counts in the indictment on April 23, 2024.

At the time of the plea, Judge Eagan committed to sentencing the defendant as a youthful offender under the conditions that she remain arrest free, comply with the pre-sentence investigation and appear in court for sentencing. The defendant was eligible for youthful offender adjudication due to her age at the time of the crash. During the plea proceeding, prosecutors stated our office's opposition to youthful offender adjudication and intent to request that the court impose the maximum term of incarceration at sentencing. Today, she received the maximum sentence as a youthful offender. As a condition of her sentence, her driver's license was revoked.

Acting DA Keane commends Captain Kevin Brown, Senior Investigators Bradley Canzoneri and Brian Kern and Officer Heather Casselman of the Amherst Police Department for their work in this investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Chief Paul J. Glascott and Assistant District Attorney Christine O. Murray of the Vehicular Crimes Bureau.