An Ithaca woman who was charged with vehicular manslaughter after a fatal 2003 Chemung County crash faces up to seven years in prison after accepting a plea agreement.
Juria S. VanNess, 43, was indicted in March 2025 on two counts of first-degree vehicular manslaughter, a felony, with one count based on a previous conviction within the last 10 years, and the other accusing her of driving with a revoked or suspended license.
The charges stemmed from an October 2023 multi-vehicle crash that killed 25-year-old Alexei G. Seymour, of Millport.
The grand jury also indicted VanNess for first degree aggravated unlicensed operation for driving while ability impaired by drugs, a felony, and a misdemeanor charge of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.
VanNess ultimately pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree manslaughter with a recommended sentence of two-and-a-third to seven years in prison. Chemung County Judge Ottavio Campanella imposed that sentence Friday, along with a $1,000 fine and a surcharge and fees totaling $385.
Prior to the sentencing, both District Attorney Weeden Wetmore and Assistant Public Defender John Schwenkler gave final arguments, and several members of Seymour’s family also gave statements to the court.
Wetmore pointed out VanNess had several prior convictions, including driving while intoxicated and other driving offenses, and the latest incident was part of a longstanding pattern.
Schwenkler agreed Seymour should not have died in such a tragic manner, but said his client accepted responsibility for her actions with her guilty plea.
Among those who spoke about the impact of Seymour’s death was his mother, Tammy Seymour.
“He had his whole life ahead of him, filled with promise and plans for the future,” Tammy Seymour said. “He and his girlfriend had already taken steps together buying their first home and looking forward to building an even brighter future.
“It is unbearably unfair that someone with so much goodness and so much potential and so much love to give was taken from us because of the reckless and irresponsible actions of someone who had no business being on the road,” she added.
The crash occurred around 7:30 a.m. Oct. 26, 2023, on state Route 13 near Parrott Road in the Town of Veteran, state police said.
VanNess was northbound on Route 13 in a 2016 Ford Fusion, while Seymour was also traveling north in a 2019 Chevy Silverado, towing a trailer carrying lawn mowing equipment, troopers said.
At the same time, a 2018 Freightliner and a 2021 Mack truck were southbound on Route 13. VanNess reportedly crossed the double solid centerline into the southbound lane and attempted to merge back into the northbound lane, striking the driver’s side of the trailer towed by Seymour’s Silverado.
Both vehicles entered the southbound lane into the path of the Freightliner. The lawnmower was thrown from the trailer of the Silverado into the path of the 2021 Mack truck, which struck it, state police said.
Seymour was pronounced deceased at the scene. VanNess suffered minor injuries and was airlifted to Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre for treatment.
VanNess also made a statement to the court Friday before Campanella imposed her sentence.
“I do not take any of this lightly. My whole family is in healthcare. We all work for very vulnerable populations,” she said.
“I am sorry for my part in all this. Never a day will go by that I am not,” she added. “Like I told the young lady at probation, I can’t take it back. I can only take it with me.”
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Ithaca woman gets prison time for fatal crash that killed Millport man
Reporting by Jeff Murray, Elmira Star-Gazette / Elmira Star-Gazette
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