17-year-old remains in critical condition after being hit by garbage truck in Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A 17-year-old Buffalo teen remains in critical condition after he was hit by a garbage truck earlier this month on Rhode Island Street, an attorney representing the teen and his family announced Saturday in a statement.

In the statement, Charles Desmond of Desmond Law identified the teen as Klaw Reh, who Desmond said was walking to school when he was struck.

Reh was hit just before 8:20 a.m. on Oct. 2 and was taken to Oishei Children’s Hospital to be treated for injuries.

“In the blink of an eye, and through no fault of his own, Klaw’s life, and the lives of those closest to him, were forever changed,” Desmond said in the statement. “Klaw was rushed to the hospital, where he remains in critical condition, battling very serious and life-altering injuries. He has undergone multiple surgical procedures and will be forced to endure many more. His loving family and friends have been by his side day and night since he was hospitalized 15 days ago, praying for a miracle.”

At the time of the crash, police said the truck was taken into custody at the Seneca Street garage.

Two days after the crash, Buffalo police said the 46-year-old city worker who was driving the truck was operating it with a suspended commercial driver’s license (CDL). She went to reinstate her license after the incident, according to police.

An issue with an endorsement on her CDL caused the suspension, police told WIVB News 4 at the time. Endorsements give CDL holders extra privileges, like transporting passengers.

The incident remains under investigation by Buffalo police and the Erie County District Attorney’s Office.

No charges have currently been filed and the driver remains suspended without pay.

A GoFundMe was started for Reh and his family, which can be found here.

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Katie Skoog joined the News 4 team in April 2024. She is a graduate from the University at Buffalo. You can view more of her work here.

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