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Angola man arraigned in fatal crash

An Angola man was arraigned Thursday on charges related to a fatal car crash in June in the town of Hamburg.

Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announced that 53-year-old Markus R. Genovese was arraigned before Erie County Court Judge James Bargnesi on a six-count indictment charging him with the following offenses: one count of second-degree manslaughter; two counts of first-degree vehicular manslaughter; two counts of second-degree vehicular manslaughter and leaving the scene of an incident resulting in death.

It is alleged that on June 8 at approximately 8:10 p.m., Genovese was driving a pickup truck northbound on Lake Shore Road when he caused a collision with another vehicle. The defendant was allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs without a valid license when he crashed his vehicle into the rear-end of the victim’s SUV, which was stopped at the intersection to make a left-hand turn onto Eckhardt Road. After the crash, the defendant allegedly abandoned his vehicle and ran from the scene. He was located in the nearby woods a short time later by responding officers and transported by ambulance to ECMC.

Two children were inside of the adult victim’s vehicle. One child passenger, an 8-year-old boy who was sitting in the backseat on the driver’s side, was fatally injured. The second child passenger, a 4-year-old boy who was also sitting in the backseat on the passenger’s side, was taken by ambulance to Oishei Children’s Hospital where he was treated for injuries and released.

Genovese, who was initially arraigned while hospitalized at ECMC, has been remanded since his arrest. He is to return on Thursday, Aug. 15, at 2 p.m. for a pre-trial conference. Genovese remains held without bail.

If convicted of the highest charge, Genovese faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

Acting DA Keane commends members of the Town of Hamburg Police Department and their Accident Investigation Unit for their work in this ongoing investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Christopher M. McCarthy of the Vehicular Crimes Bureau.

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