BUFFALO, NY – A 24-year-old Buffalo man previously convicted for a fatal hit and run has been sentenced to probation. According to Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn, 24-year-old Haitham Kassem of Buffalo was sentenced before Erie County Court Judge Suzanne Maxwell Barnes to 5 years of probation and a $1,000.00 fine.
“On Thursday, October 20, 2020, at approximately 11:24 p.m., the defendant was driving a SUV southbound on Seneca Street near Princeton Place in the City of Buffalo when he hit a pedestrian who was walking on the shoulder of the road after crossing the street. The defendant initially stopped, but then drove away without reporting the incident to police,” police reported. “The victim, a 63-year-old man from Buffalo, was taken to the hospital with serious physical injuries, including a fractured femur and pelvis. He underwent numerous surgeries and continues to recover from the injuries.”
According to D.A. Flynn, Kassem pleaded guilty to one count of Leaving the Scene of an Incident Without Reporting Resulting in Serious Physical Injury.