An Ithaca man faces up to seven years in prison after pleading guilty in connection with a September 2025 single-vehicle crash in Schuyler County that killed another Tompkins County resident.
Michael A. Blake Jr., 18, pleaded guilty in Schuyler County Court to a charge of second-degree vehicular manslaughter, a felony, and driving while ability impaired by drugs, a misdemeanor.
The crash took place around 11:46 a.m. Sept. 29 of last year on County Road No. 1 in the Town of Hector, according to the Schuyler County Sheriff’s Office.
Arriving deputies located a 2010 Ford Fusion that failed to negotiate a curve, left the roadway and struck some trees, the sheriff’s office said.
Blake, who was the driver of the vehicle, was taken by helicopter to Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse for treatment of his injuries. A passenger in the Fusion, 17-year-old Marcus Knight, of Trumansburg, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Blake was charged in January following an investigation into the crash.
As part of his plea, Blake admitted to consuming a combination of drugs and alcohol prior to operating a motor vehicle, resulting in the collision that caused Knight’s death.
Blake is scheduled to be sentenced July 30. In New York state, a conviction for second-degree vehicular manslaughter carries a penalty of two-and-a-third years to seven years in state prison.
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Ithaca man pleads guilty in fatal September 2025 Schuyler County crash
Reporting by Jeff Murray, Elmira Star-Gazette / Elmira Star-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jeff Murray, Elmira Star-Gazette | USA TODAY Network
