'Ran him over again': City garbage truck driver who paralyzed teenager after suddenly reversing down one-way street gets no jail time

A erstwhile garbage motortruck operator successful Buffalo, New York, has learned her destiny for "recklessly" backing her conveyance up and striking a teenage boy, severely injuring him.

Sasiya Davis-Johnson, 48, was sentenced connected Thursday to 3 years of probation aft pleading blameworthy successful October to third-degree battle and reckless driving, some misdemeanors. She faced up to 364 days successful jail, the Erie County District Attorney's Office noted.

On Oct. 2, 2024, Davis-Johnson was driving a Buffalo Department of Public Works garbage motortruck astatine astir 8:16 a.m. adjacent the intersection of Rhode Island Street and 14th Street arsenic children crossed the metropolis were either successful oregon headed to school.

One specified pupil was a 17-year-old lad crossing Rhode Island Street, the DA's bureau said. At the aforesaid time, Davis-Johnson "recklessly drove the garbage motortruck by placing the conveyance successful reverse and moving successful the incorrect direction" connected the one-way street.

The garbage motortruck deed the pedestrian, and authorities said Davis-Johnson "recklessly caused carnal injuries" to the boy. Fourteen months later, helium remains successful the hospital, is paralyzed from the waist down, has had a limb amputated and has undergone much than 30 surgeries, his attorney, Charles Desmond, said, per local ABC affiliate WKBW.

"This is simply a 60,000-pound motortruck that ran him implicit and past went forward, ran him implicit again," Desmond told reporters, per WKBW.

In January, the teenager's household sued the City of Buffalo, Davis-Johnson, and different metropolis idiosyncratic implicit the incident, the outlet added.

During the sentencing hearing, Davis-Johnson's lawyer pleaded for leniency, arguing she had "never been successful occupation earlier this happened" and was remorseful.

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Desmond said her reckless actions whitethorn person been compounded by inadequate grooming and faulty equipment.

"We cognize that the metropolis did not decently bid her. We cognize determination was a spotter successful the garbage motortruck that could person been retired guiding, looking down the truck. He did not get retired of the truck. She did not bid him retired of the truck. We besides cognize that the backup camera connected the garbage motortruck was breached and disabled," helium said.

Davis-Johnson is nary longer employed by the City of Buffalo Department of Public Works, the DA's bureau said. Authorities besides noted that she was offered the "reduced plea" of the misdemeanor charges, with the "consent of the victim."