BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Erie County District Attorney's Office announced that 26-year-old Zaire N. Pittman was sentenced in Erie County Court to one year in jail and his driver’s license was revoked.
According to the district attorney's office, on May 7, 2021, Pittman was driving a vehicle while under the influence of cannabis, when he hit a bicyclist, 54-year-old Carolyn Carter, on East Ferry Street near Wohlers Avenue. Carter died at the scene.
Pittman pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree vehicular manslaughter and one count of driving while ability impaired by a drug in November 2022.
Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn released the following statement when Pittman pleaded guilty in November 2022:
"This defendant drove a vehicle while high on marijuana and caused the tragic death of this woman. While it is legal to smoke or consume cannabis in New York State, driving while high is a crime. It is my duty as District Attorney to keep the roads in our community safe. If you are caught driving under the influence of marijuana, alcohol, or any other illicit substance, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
