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Bicyclist dead after being hit by car, driver accused of being under the influence of marijuana

Sirens
Posted at 2:20 PM, May 08, 2021
and last updated 2021-05-10 14:53:21-04

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Buffalo police say a woman is dead after she was hit by a car while riding her bike, a Tonawanda man has been arrested on multiple charges.

Police say 24-year-old Zaire Pittman of Tonawanda was driving a Ford Taurus when he allegedly hit a 54-year-old female bicyclist with his car on East Ferry Street near Wohlers Avenue around 11:30 p.m. Friday. The Erie County District Attorney's Office says Pittman was allegedly under the influence of cannabis at the time of the crash.

The woman was declared dead at the scene, police are still working to identify her.

Pittman has been charged with vehicular manslaughter in the second degree and driving ability impaired by drugs, he was arraigned Saturday. He is due back in court May 13 and was remanded without bail, he faces a maximum of seven years in prison if convicted of all charges.

“This defendant is accused of driving while under the influence of marijuana, which resulted in the tragic death of this woman. While it is now legal to smoke or consume cannabis in New York, it remains illegal for a person to drive a vehicle while high. It is my duty as District Attorney to ensure that our roads remain 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,” said Erie County District Attorney John Flynn.