BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A former City of Buffalo garbage truck driver faced sentencing Thursday for an incident that left the victim still hospitalized with severe injuries.
Sasiya Davis Johnson, who pleaded guilty to third-degree assault and reckless driving, was sentenced to three years probation by Supreme Court Justice Paul Wojtaszek. The judge also revoked her driver's license for three years.
"I know that this was not an intentional act, but it was reckless," Wojtaszek said during sentencing.
The victim, Klaw Reh, was struck while walking to school and remains hospitalized more than a year later. Now 18, he has undergone more than 30 surgeries, had a leg amputated and is paralyzed from the waist down, according to his attorney Charles Desmond.
"Klaw is not doing well. He's still hospitalized. He's been hospitalized since the date of the incident," Desmond said. "We don't anticipate him getting out of the hospital anytime soon."
In January, Reh's family filed a lawsuit that names the city, Davis-Johnson, and another city worker as defendants.
Mayor-Elect Sean Ryan's office said they cannot comment on specifics due to pending litigation. However, incoming Deputy Mayor Benjamin Swanekamp said in a statement that the Ryan administration will look at using more technology, like cameras and dash cams, to help prevent similar tragedies.
At the sentencing, Johnson's attorney, Thearthur Duncan, told the judge his client was remorseful and asked for leniency.
"Giving my client probation is a waste of resources," Duncan said. "My client is 48 years old. She's a grandmother. A mother, a wife, homeowner. Never been in trouble before, before this happened."
WATCH: Former Buffalo garbage truck driver sentenced to probation after crash that left teen paralyzed
Desmond said the criminal sentencing is just the beginning of seeking justice for his client. He outlined several factors that contributed to the incident, including inadequate training and equipment failures.
"We understand it wasn't intentional, but what we do know is she's driving a several 100 ton garbage truck the wrong way down an entire city block of Buffalo," Desmond said. "We know that the city did not properly train her. We know there was a spotter in the garbage truck that could have been out guiding, looking behind the truck. He did not get out of the truck. She did not order him out of the truck. We also know that the backup camera on the garbage truck was broken and disabled."
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