Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 52-year-old Guillermo Morales of Buffalo was arraigned this morning before State Supreme Court Justice Paul B. Wojtaszek on an indictment charging him with three counts of Aggravated Vehicular Homicide (Class “B” felonies), one count of Manslaughter in the Second Degree, one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fourth Degree (Class “C” felonies) and one count of Aggravated Unlicensed Operation in the First Degree (Class “E” felony).
It is alleged that on Saturday, August 12, 2023, at approximately 3:06 a.m., the defendant, while driving under the influence of alcohol and a drug, 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 J. Czop of Tonawanda, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Morales was taken by ambulance to be treated for non-life threatening injuries. He was arraigned later the same day while hospitalized at ECMC.
During the investigation, the defendant was allegedly found in possession of a quantity of suspected cocaine. The suspected narcotic was submitted into evidence for further testing, which confirmed that the substance was powder cocaine.
Morales is scheduled to return on Thursday, November 2, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. for a pre-trial conference. He continues to be held without bail.
If convicted of the highest count, Morales faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
DA Flynn commends the New York State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit and Bureau of Criminal Investigation for their work in this investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Chief Paul J. Glascott of the Vehicular Crimes Bureau.
As are all persons accused of a crime, the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
