A former City of Buffalo garbage truck driver was sentenced to three years of probation on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, for a West Side crash that ran over a 17-year-old pedestrian and left him paralyzed, court officials said. The judge also revoked the driver’s New York license for the length of the sentence.
The misdemeanor sentence capped a high-profile case that began the morning of Oct. 2, 2024, when the city sanitation truck abruptly reversed the wrong way down Rhode Island Street, a one-way road near 14th Street. Prosecutors said the truck struck the teen, now 18, who has endured more than 30 surgeries, a left-leg amputation and a spinal injury that paralyzed him below the waist. The driver, 48-year-old Sasiya Davis-Johnson, pleaded guilty Oct. 8, 2025, to third-degree assault and reckless driving under a deal prosecutors said was accepted with the victim’s consent. Defense lawyers argued for leniency, citing her clean record; the court imposed probation and a three-year revocation of driving privileges.
At sentencing, State Supreme Court Justice Paul Wojtaszek told Davis-Johnson the crash was not intentional but was reckless, according to remarks delivered in open court. The teen’s attorney, Charles Desmond, said his client remains hospitalized more than a year later and faces a long recovery. In earlier statements, Desmond alleged the 60,000-pound truck reversed at speed, ran over the boy, and then moved forward and “ran him over again,” leaving catastrophic injuries. The district attorney’s office said the driver was operating in reverse against traffic on a one-way street when the collision occurred just after 8:16 a.m., as students were heading to school.
The Erie County District Attorney’s office outlined a timeline that began with the truck’s sudden reversal and ended with ambulance transport to Erie County Medical Center. Prosecutors said evidence supported misdemeanor charges rather than felonies and noted the plea—entered two months before sentencing—reflected both the elements they could prove and the victim’s agreement to resolve the criminal case. Davis-Johnson is no longer employed by the Department of Public Works. During the hearing, her counsel emphasized her lack of prior offenses, family responsibilities and remorse, arguing incarceration would not serve public interests. “I know that this was not an intentional act, but it was reckless,” the judge said before imposing the sentence, according to the courtroom account.
The victim was identified in civil filings as Klaw Reh, a Leonardo da Vinci High School student who was walking to class when he attempted to cross Rhode Island Street. Family members said he remained in a long-term care facility through the fall of 2025, with surgeries to address internal injuries, orthopedic damage and complications from the amputation. Desmond, the family’s attorney, has described the teen as resilient but in constant medical care, saying doctors do not expect discharge soon. The case galvanized classmates and local refugee advocates on Buffalo’s West Side, where residents organized meal trains and raised funds for the teen’s family during repeated procedures.
Investigators said the sanitation truck was reversing the wrong way on a one-way block when it struck the teen in the crosswalk area. In civil and media statements, the family’s lawyers alleged multiple safety failures preceded the impact, including a nonfunctioning backup camera and the absence of a spotter outside the truck to guide the maneuver—roles sometimes required in municipal operations. A police report referenced by the family’s attorney noted a spotter assigned to the truck was inside the cab on a phone, not behind the vehicle. City officials have not publicly released the truck’s maintenance history from that day, and the criminal court did not adjudicate those equipment issues during the misdemeanor plea.
The crash became the subject of a separate civil lawsuit filed in January 2025 against the City of Buffalo, Davis-Johnson and another city worker. That complaint alleges negligence in reversing down a one-way street, inadequate training and supervision, and equipment defects that made a dangerous maneuver deadlier. The city has said the driver is no longer employed, has declined detailed comment on the pending litigation, and maintained that certain employees remain on staff while the civil case moves forward. Attorneys for the teen say medical costs already total hundreds of thousands of dollars and will continue for years as he adapts to paralysis and a prosthetic limb.
Neighbors near Rhode Island and 14th described a chaotic morning scene in 2024 as first responders sealed off the block and investigators measured skid marks and vehicle paths. Witnesses told reporters the truck backed “at a high rate of speed” before the impact. Evidence technicians later documented the roadway and nearby intersections while canvas teams checked for doorbell cameras and business footage. Prosecutors said accident investigators reconstructed the path of the truck and the pedestrian’s movements as part of the charging decision, which did not include felony counts such as vehicular assault.
Under New York law, third-degree assault is a Class A misdemeanor typically tied to reckless conduct that causes physical injury; reckless driving is an unclassified misdemeanor under the state’s Vehicle and Traffic Law. Combined, the counts carried a maximum local-jail exposure of up to 364 days, but judges may impose community-based penalties when the facts and plea posture support them. In addition to probation and the license revocation, Davis-Johnson must comply with standard supervision terms, which can include reporting requirements, employment conditions and court-ordered programs. Any violation could bring her back before the judge for resentencing.
Public reaction to the noncustodial outcome divided along familiar lines. Some residents and safety advocates argued that reversing a heavy municipal truck against traffic on a one-way street warranted jail to signal accountability, particularly given the teen’s lasting injuries. Others pointed to the victim’s consent to the plea and the driver’s lack of record, saying probation with a revoked license still limits future risk while the civil lawsuit addresses monetary damages. The district attorney has said prosecutors weigh evidence strength, statutory elements and the wishes of victims when recommending sentences in serious-injury cases that do not meet felony thresholds.
The West Side corridor where the crash occurred funnels school commuters, cyclists and delivery trucks through narrow blocks, with one-way patterns that can tempt risky maneuvers when crews miss a pickup or face blocked lanes. City auditors and public works supervisors have previously reviewed route designs and backing protocols after incidents. Union representatives say staffing and training for spotters is uneven across shifts and job types; management has said crews receive regular safety briefings and that reversing is restricted in tight areas. Whether Buffalo will make policy changes in response to this case remains an open question while litigation continues.
Court records show Davis-Johnson entered her plea Oct. 8, 2025, roughly a year after the crash. By then, the family’s civil attorneys had filed their complaint and begun discovery steps aimed at obtaining truck maintenance logs, internal communications and training records. The judge set conditions for probation that include the three-year license revocation. The criminal case is now closed. The civil suit remains pending in state court, where depositions and expert reports on municipal safety practices, accident reconstruction and long-term medical needs are expected to shape any settlement talks or trial schedule into 2026.
Outside the courthouse, Desmond reiterated that the criminal plea does not resolve his client’s lifetime needs, which include rehabilitation, adaptive equipment and continuing surgeries. He said the family consented to the misdemeanor plea to avoid the uncertainty of a trial and to focus on the civil case. Defense counsel for Davis-Johnson, who did not address reporters at length after sentencing, emphasized her remorse and community ties. The city’s law department declined comment, citing the pending lawsuit. Public works officials said the driver had been removed from duty and that safety briefings for backing procedures would continue as part of routine operations.
As of this week, the teen remained hospitalized in a long-term care facility, according to his attorney, with additional procedures scheduled. City officials have not announced any new administrative policy stemming from the crash. The civil suit will determine whether the city and employees bear financial responsibility for training, supervision and equipment issues alleged in filings—questions that were not resolved by the misdemeanor plea in criminal court.
Author note: Last updated December 27, 2025.