A Sidney woman, accused of running down a pedestrian in February in the village of Sidney, has pleaded guilty to charges in the case.
Delaware County Acting District Attorney Shawn J. Smith announced Tuesday that Courtni N. Baker, 32, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular assault during an appearance in Delaware County Court on Monday, May 22.
A grand jury indicted Baker in March on charges including first-degree vehicular assault, a class D felony, second-degree vehicular assault, a class E felony, aggravated vehicular assault, a class C felony, second-degree assault, a class D violent felony, and second-degree escape, a class E felony.
According to a media release, Baker entered a guilty plea to the top charge, aggravated vehicular assault, a class C felony, as well as driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor misdemeanor.
Before pleading guilty, the release said, Baker admitted that she went to the Community Lounge in Sidney where she began drinking vodka. “After becoming highly intoxicated, she recklessly drove her motor vehicle on Sharon Street, and then crashed into a child walking home from school. The crash caused life threatening injuries to that child,” the release said.
This plea was entered as part of a deal, under which Baker will be sentenced to an indeterminate term of 4 to 12 years in state prison for her conviction of Aggravated Vehicular Assault. She will also be sentenced to a concurrent one-year term on her conviction of aggravated DWI.
At the time of the incident, the Sidney Police Department said officers were called at 2:48 p.m. Feb. 15 to investigate a report of a female lying in the middle of Sunset Avenue, appearing to have passed out. While enroute, officers were advised by 911 dispatchers that the victim had possibly been struck by a vehicle.
When police arrived, a media release said, they found a 14-year-old girl unconscious in the roadway on Sharon Street, which intersects with Sunset Avenue. The victim appeared to have serious physical injuries. Sidney Emergency Medical Services treated the victim and transported her to UHS Wilson Medical Center in Johnson City. She was later transferred to SUNY Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse.
Police said their investigation revealed the victim was struck by a vehicle as she was walking home from school. The vehicle and its driver then left the scene, but returned a short time later. Subsequent investigation determined the driver, Baker, was impaired by alcohol, the release said. She was taken into custody and transported to the station for processing.
While officers processed Baker at their station she attempted to escape the facility but was quickly detained, the release said.