ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — A Buffalo man was arraigned Tuesday morning in Orchard Park Town Court on one count of leaving the scene of an incident resulting in death.
According to the Town of Orchard Park Police Department around 8:19 p.m. Monday officers responded to Southwestern Boulevard near Stadium Drive for the report of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle. Officers found a 65-year-old man from Rochester lying in the road and the vehicle that struck him allegedly fled the scene. Police said a bystander was able to get the license plate number and a description of the vehicle before it fled.
Police said the man was transported to ECMC and pronounced dead a short time later.
The eastbound portion of Southwestern Boulevard from Abbott Road to California Road was closed for about two and a half hours due to the investigation.
The Erie County District Attorney's Office announced that 32-year-old Khairullah I. Hasein of Buffalo was arraigned Tuesday morning in Orchard Park Town Court on one count of leaving the scene of an incident resulting in death.
The district attorney's office said the suspect vehicle was later found in Buffalo and Hasein was working as a delivery driver at the time of the alleged incident. Hasein is scheduled to return on Friday for a felony hearing and was held without bail.
Erie County District Attorney John Flynn said there is no indication that alcohol, drugs, speed, reckless driving or driving with a cell phone were a factor in the crash.
"There's no traffic violations at all that are attached to this charge. The actual crime is not striking the pedestrian, the crime is leaving the scene," said Flynn.
Longtime Orchard Park resident Kathy Bauer, who lives near the Southwestern intersection, said sadly the accident comes as no surprise.
"It's just happening quite often on game days something's always going on," she said, "The people fly up and down the streets it's 45 on Abbott and then you have 50/55 on Southwestern. It can tend to get crazy especially when they're leaving the game you know so and at nighttime, it can be harder to see."
Flynn said when people cross the middle of the street on Abbott or Southwestern where there is limited lighting, that's when accidents can happen.
"Obviously one is too many, but it's just surprising if there's not more if you think about it," Flynn said.
Bauer said what happened Monday night was upsetting.
"Just sad, you know? Condolences to the family. It's just sad that happened," she said.
About two hours later, around 10 p.m., a 36-year-old Buffalo man was struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Abbott Road and Milestrip Road. Police said he was transported to ECMC with serious injuries and the driver remained on the scene and cooperated with the investigation.
According to police, an investigation revealed the 36-year-old man crossed the road against the crosswalk sign and into the path of the vehicle that had the right of way. The eastbound portion of Milestrip Road was closed for about an hour due to the investigation.
