Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - A Buffalo man has been arraigned for his role in a wrong-way crash on the I-190 in the City of Buffalo that has left a Tonawanda man dead.
52-year-old Guillermo Morales of Buffalo was arraigned Saturday morning before a Buffalo City Court Judge on the following charges:
- One count of Vehicular Manslaughter in the First Degree (Class "C" felony)
- One count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fourth Degree (Class "C" felony)
- One count of Aggravated Unlicensed Operation in the First Degree (Class "E" felony)
- One count of Driving While Intoxicated (Class "E" felony)
Morales is also facing other Vehicle and Traffic Law violations.
It is alleged that on Saturday, Aug. 12 at approximately 3:06 a.m. ET, the defendant, while driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, caused a collision on the I-190 near the Scajaquada Expressway in the City of Buffalo. The defendant was allegedly driving North on the Southbound side of the highway when he crashed his pickup truck head-on into another vehicle.
The driver of the other vehicle, 38-year-old Matthew Czop of Tonawanda, was pronounced dead at the scene.
During the investigation, the defendant was allegedly found in possession of a quantity of suspected cocaine. He was taken by ambulance to be treated for non-life threatening injuries.
He was arraigned the same day while hospitalized at Erie County Medical Center.
Morales is scheduled to return to court on Friday, Aug. 18 at 9:30 a.m. ET for a felony hearing. He was held without bail.
If convicted of the highest count, Morales faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
