Intoxicated Driver Pleads Guilty to All Charges for Killing Another Motorist in Wrong-Way Crash

Monday, April 15, 2024

Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announces that 52-year-old Guillermo Morales of Buffalo pleaded guilty on Thursday afternoon before State Supreme Court Justice Paul B. Wojtaszek to three counts of Aggravated Vehicular Homicide (Class "B" felonies), one count of Manslaughter in the Second Degree (Class "C" felony), one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fourth Degree (Class "C" felony) and one count of Aggravated Unlicensed Operation in the First Degree (Class "E" felony). The defendant pleaded guilty to all counts in the indictment against him.

On Saturday, August 12, 2023, at approximately 3:06 a.m., the defendant, while driving under the influence of alcohol and a drug, caused a collision on the I-190 near the Scajaquada Expressway in the City of Buffalo. The defendant was driving north on the southbound side of the highway when he crashed his pickup truck head-on into another vehicle. The driver of the other vehicle, 38-year-old Matthew J. Czop of Tonawanda, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Moraleswas taken by ambulance to be treated for non-life threatening injuries. He was arraigned later the same day while hospitalized at ECMC. During the investigation, the defendant was found in possession of a quantity of suspected cocaine. The suspected narcotic was submitted into evidence for further testing, which confirmed that the substance was powder cocaine.

Morales faces a maximum of 25 years in prison when he is sentenced on Tuesday, July 2, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. He remains held without bail.

Acting DA Keane commends the New York State PoliceCollision Reconstruction Unit and Bureau of Criminal Investigation for their work in this investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Chief Paul J. Glascott and Assistant District Attorney Bethany A. Solek of the Vehicular Crimes Bureau as well as Assistant District Attorney William E. Szczepanski of the Felony Trials Bureau.