Cayuga County District Attorney Brittany Grome Antonacci is blasting a recent decision by the New York State Parole Board to release the man responsible for a 2016 fatal car crash that took the life of an Auburn teen.
According to Grome Antonacci, Dain Schneider, who pled guilty to Aggravated Vehicular Homicide after causing a car crash that killed 18-year-old Chloe Calhoun, was released from prison on April 30 based on a discretionary decision from the parole board.
Under state law, the maximum sentence for Aggravated Vehicular Homicide is 8 1/3-25 years in prison with a minimum of 1-3 years. The DA calls these laws too lenient.
“In the face of strong opposition from this Office and the community, the NYS Parole Board decided to grant Schneider early release. This was a discretionary choice by the Board, who were not legally required to release the defendant at this time. The Parole Board’s decision was an insult to Chloe’s memory and an injustice to the community. The decision also endangers our community, because in the past, only incarceration has stopped this individual from getting behind the wheel while intoxicated. New York’s lenient sentencing laws allowed for Schneider’s early release. If you share our frustration with the sentencing laws for impaired and intoxicated vehicular homicides, and the early release of these individuals, I strongly encourage you to contact your local State Senator and Assembly Member.”
On July 17, 2016, Schneider killed Calhoun when he slammed his vehicle into Calhoun’s as she was leaving an ice cream stand on East Lake Road in the Town of Owasco. Schneider, who had two previous DWI convictions and had his license previously revoked, was driving 54 miles per hour over the speed limit and had a blood alcohol content of 0.23%.
Schneider pled guilty to Aggravated Vehicular Homicide and other charges on August 23, 2016. On October 18, he was sentenced to 7-24 years in prison.
Grome Antonacci also stated that the DA’s office had sent multiple letters to the parole board opposing Schneider’s release, with the most recent one being sent on December 24, 2024.
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