An Auburn man has admitted to fatally striking a woman with his vehicle in the city earlier this year.
According to Cayuga County District Attorney Brittany Grome Antonacci, following his arraignment on Thursday, Christopher Dewitt pled guilty in court to one count of Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, a Class B Felony. In his plea, the 31-year-old admitted he was impaired by marijuana at the time of the incident.
At around 1:30p on January 10, police responded to the intersection of North and Lansing Streets where a woman, later identified as 67-year-old Cynthia Stockwell, had been hit by a vehicle. She was taken to Auburn Community Hospital, where she later died.
During their investigation, police alleged that Dewitt was speeding on North Street when he crossed into the opposite lane, ran a red light, and struck Stockwell when she was at the crosswalk at the intersection of Lansing and North Streets. Dewitt was then arrested and charged with Second-Degree Vehicular Manslaughter, Operating a Motor Vehicle while Impaired by Drugs, and multiple traffic infractions.
Following the results of a toxicology report, the charges were upgraded to a felony count of Aggravated Vehicular Homicide.
For his crime, Dewitt faces a maximum sentence of 8 1/3 – 25 years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 17, 2025.
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