A Buffalo man who struck and killed a 66-year-old pedestrian in the Black Rock neighborhood and then drove away without calling police was sentenced Monday to 1 1/3 to 4 years in state prison. Benjamin Medley, 62, pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an incident resulting in death in connection with the crash that killed Richard Gould at the intersection of Grant Street and Amherst Street.
New York State Supreme Court Justice Betty Calvo-Torres handed down the sentence, which also includes a one-year revocation of Medley's driver's license, according to News 4 Buffalo. The charge, a Class D felony under New York's Vehicle and Traffic Law, carries a statutory maximum of up to seven years in prison, according to the Erie County District Attorney's Office.
What Happened at Grant and Amherst
The crash happened at roughly 7:40 p.m. on December 10, 2024, as Medley drove north on Grant Street and struck Gould, who was crossing at the Amherst Street intersection, per News 4 Buffalo's report and the DA's office. Medley drove away without notifying police. Gould was taken to Erie County Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Days after the crash, Buffalo Police recovered the suspect vehicle, a white Ford Flex with a panoramic moonroof, a two-tone white and silver tailgate, and possible signs of crash damage, as reported by WGRZ. The investigation was led by Officers Jenna Capizzi, Mark Andrzejak, and Jason Heidinger of the Buffalo Police Department's Accident Investigation Unit, working alongside the Buffalo Fire Department, the DA's office said.
Remembering Richard Gould
Gould was an Amherst resident and father of three. His family held a Mass in Williamsville and a celebration of his life on Grant Street in Buffalo in February 2025, according to The Buffalo News.
The case was prosecuted by Chief Patrick B. Shanahan and Assistant District Attorney Mitchell T. Schoellkopf of the Erie County Vehicular Crimes Bureau, alongside Assistant Chief Denise A. Herman of the Felony Trials Bureau, the DA's office said.
A Pattern on Grant Street
Medley's sentencing comes less than two weeks after another Erie County case drew attention to the same corridor. Earlier this month, 75-year-old Kaled Handal was sentenced to five years of probation after pleading guilty to a separate fatal pedestrian hit-and-run on Grant Street near West Ferry Street that killed 58-year-old Luiman E. Velez, according to the Erie County District Attorney's Office. Grant Street, a heavily traveled commercial corridor on Buffalo's West Side, has now seen two fatal hit-and-run sentencings within weeks of each other.
The outcomes highlight how sentences in these cases can vary widely even though state law allows up to seven years in prison for leaving the scene of a fatal incident, with judges weighing plea agreements, prior records, and driving history in each case, per the DA's office.
