Sanborn teen pleads guilty to vehicular manslaughter for February crash that killed passenger

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A Sanborn teen pleaded guilty Tuesday for her role in a February crash that killed a passenger in the vehicle she was driving, the Niagara County District Attorney’s Office announced.

Ninaatikwe A. Hamby, 19, admitted to driving while under the influence of cannabis when she crashed a vehicle in the early morning hours of Feb. 25 at the intersection of Walmore and Upper Mountain Roads, officials said. The vehicle was traveling northbound on Walmore and failed to stop at a stop sign when it crashed, Lewiston Police said in February.

The crash resulted in the death of a 20-year-old male, who was the backseat passenger of the vehicle and a family member of Hamby’s, officials said. A 27-year-old male, who was the front seat passenger, was airlifted to ECMC with serious injuries.

All three occupants of the vehicle were residents of the Tuscarora Reservation, according to police.

“The outcome of Ms. Hamby’s decision to drive while under the influence of cannabis was the death of a family member,” said Niagara County District Attorney Brian Seaman in a release. “It just can’t be understated how dangerous it is to drive while under the influence of marijuana. Here the results are the complete devastation of a family.”

Hamby pleaded guilty to second-degree vehicular manslaughter and faces up to seven years in prison when she is sentenced.

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Adam Gorski is a Buffalo native who joined the WIVB News 4 team in 2022. You can find more of his work here.

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