Charges dismissed against driver in 2022 crash that killed Lancaster teens
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The charges against a Lancaster man accused in a deadly crash that took the lives of two 19-year-old girls have been dismissed by a judge, according to acting Erie County District Attorney Michael Keane.
Ryan Stencel was charged with two counts of criminally negligent homicide after his car allegedly crashed into a tree, burst into flames and killed his friends in March 2022. Last month, his attorneys argued prosecutors misled the grand jury about his toxicology report.
“I respectfully disagree with the decision by Acting Erie County Court Judge Carrie Phillips to grant the defense motion and dismiss the indictment against Ryan Stencel,” Keane said in a statement, adding that he plans to appeal.
Stencel was driving on Warner Road in Lancaster with passengers Mackenzie Mycek and Molly Kaminski to get to a friend’s house in Getzville on the night of the incident. All were 19 years old.
At some point during the drive, Stencel allegedly lost control of the vehicle, causing it to spin around and strike a tree. The gas tank was hit and as a result, the car burst into flames. Officials said the vehicle was burned “beyond recognition.”
Mycek and Kaminski both died as a result of blunt force trauma and thermal injuries.
Stencel wasn’t indicted until 11 months later. Then-District Attorney John Flynn said that the state of the vehicle presented both logistical and investigative challenges and that there was no evidence to arrest Stencel at the scene.
Toxicology results showed Stencel had THC in his blood after the crash, Flynn told WIVB News 4. It was presented as evidence to the grand jury.
“However, this particular toxicologist was not comfortable in making a medical opinion that [Stencel] was under the influence or impaired by marijuana,” Flynn said.
Flynn said several changes throughout the legal battle played a role in the outcome including expert testimonies on the car’s speed being recanted. A new judge was later brought in to preside over the case and Flynn said the defense used that to their advantage.
“What a defense lawyer does is take a handful of mud, throw it against the wall, and see what sticks and in this case, unfortunately, it stuck,” he said.
Keane said his office will be filing an appeal of the decision.
In a statement by Molly’s parents, Kris and Toni Kaminski, the couple said Stencel showed no concern for the lives of the two teens at the scene of the crash.
“He was up on his feet and talking; he never once said their names, never mentioned he had passengers in the car at all,” they said. “He knew then what he did and he knows now what he did. He needs to live with that shame regardless of today’s outcome, as do those who worked to help him avoid any kind of accountability.”
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Kayleigh Hunter-Gasperini joined the News 4 team in 2024 as a Digital Video Producer. She is a graduate of Chatham University.
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