BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announced Monday that a Cheektowaga man pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter in the second degree and one count of driving while ability impaired by a drug.
On May 7, 2021, at approximately 11:30 p.m., the defendant, 26-year-old Zaire N. Pittman was driving a vehicle under the influence of cannabis when he hit a female bicyclist on East Ferry Street near Wohlers Avenue in Buffalo.
The bicyclist, 54-year-old Carolyn Carter, died at the scene of the crash.
"This defendant drove a vehicle while high on marijuana and caused the tragic death of this woman. While it is legal to smoke or consume cannabis in New York State, driving while high is a crime. It is my duty as District Attorney to keep the roads in our community safe. If you are caught driving under the influence of marijuana, alcohol, or any other illicit substance, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn
Pittman will face a maximum of 7 years in prison when he is sentenced on Jan. 31, 2023. He remains released on a previously posted $50,000 bail.
