BUFFALO, N.Y. — A Buffalo man is heading to prison for at least the next seven years for a high speed crash that claimed the life of his passenger.
Erie County Court Judge James Bargnesi on Thursday sentenced 41-year-old Paul Tolbert III to a term of 7.5 to 15 years for the November 26, 2020, incident.
Tolbert was behind the wheel of a minivan heading south on Delaware Avenue when he crashed it into the McKinley Monument in Niagara Square. His passenger, 34-year-old Angel Marie Cobb of Buffalo, was killed.
The Erie County District Attorney's office says at the time, Tolbert was taken to Erie County Medical Center to be treated for various injuries and was found to be under the influence of cocaine and fentanyl.
Judge Bargnesi found Tolbert guilty of manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, and criminal possession of a controlled substance following a three-day bench trial last month.
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