BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Angola man accused of driving drunk and causing a crash in Hamburg that killed an 8-year-old boy on Saturday is facing multiple charges.
The Erie County District Attorney's Office announced that 52-year-old Markus R. Genovese was arraigned Monday while hospitalized at ECMC and has been charged with the following:
- One count of first-degree vehicular manslaughter
- One count of second-degree vehicular manslaughter
- One count of leaving the scene of an incident resulting in death
- One count of first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle
- One count of third-degree assault
- One count of driving while intoxicated
- One count of driving while ability impaired by drugs or alcohol
- New York State vehicle & traffic law violations for speeding, driving without a license, drinking alcohol or using cannabis in a motor vehicle on a highway and being a pedestrian on a prohibited area of a highway
According to the district attorney's office, on June 8 Genovese was allegedly driving a pickup truck under the influence of alcohol or drugs without a valid license when he caused a collision with another vehicle at the intersection of Route 5 and North Creek Road in the Town of Hamburg. Genovese is accused of rear-ending a vehicle that was stopped at the intersection to make a left-hand turn. He allegedly abandoned his vehicle and fled the scene but was located by responding officers in the woods nearby and transported to ECMC.
8-year-old Thomas Ross was in the backseat of the vehicle that Genovese struck and he was killed. A 4-year-old boy was also in the backseat of the vehicle and he was taken to Oishei Children’s Hospital where he was treated for injuries and released.
Genovese's defense attorney told 7 News his client has waived his right to a felony hearing and will no longer appear in court on Thursday. The district attorney's office and the defense are awaiting the results of a blood draw that will help determine what additional charges may be filed in this case before it is presented to a grand jury. At this time, he faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison if convicted of the highest charge.
7 News has also learned through the NYS DMV that Genovese has 10 unresolved suspensions of his license and that his license was revoked at the time of the crash on Saturday. In addition, Evans police told 7 News he was arrested in 2016 and 2018 for driving with a suspended license.
The family of Thomas Ross shared a message on their GoFundMe Page which said in part: "To know him was to love him. We're truly at a loss for words. We are grateful that he spent his last day at his favorite place, the beach."
He was a second grader at Blasdell Elementary. His favorite color was orange. He loved to create and had dreams of becoming an artist.
