A Port Byron woman charged with aggravated vehicular homicide after a fatal crash in Onondaga County last year has been arraigned in court.
Kaitlyn R. Kudla, 21, pleaded not guilty May 8 in Onondaga County Court to all charges stemming from the death of Riley Besner, of Auburn, Onondaga County Chief Assistant District Attorney Frank Pelosi told 水果派AV. Besner was a passenger in Kudla's vehicle when she allegedly lost control of it and crashed it Nov. 3 in the town of Onondaga.聽
Pelosi said Kudla has been offered a plea deal of 10 years in state prison for the homicide charge, a Class B felony. She is due back in court May 30 and is out on pretrial release with an ankle monitor.
"She's basically under probation supervision until this case is resolved," Pelosi said.
Along with that charge, Kudla was charged with聽second-degree vehicular manslaughter, second-degree assault, operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content level of 0.08% or higher, reckless driving and moving from a lane unsafely when she was聽arrested in February by the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office.
Since then, Pelosi said, charges of driving while ability impaired by a combined influence of drugs or alcohol and making a punishable false written statement have been added, along with second counts of aggravated vehicular homicide and second-degree vehicular manslaughter.
Pelosi said the statement charge was added when it was determined that Kudla was under the influence during the crash despite allegedly telling deputies she hadn't consumed any alcohol before driving and signing a statement to that effect.
The second homicide and manslaughter charges were added due to the severity of injuries to a second victim in the crash, KeShawn Thomas, who survived.
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Staff writer Kelly Rocheleau can be reached at (315) 282-2243 or kelly.rocheleau@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @KellyRocheleau.
