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Buffalo woman pleads guilty to driving into bicyclist during Niagara Square protest

Joanna Gollnau pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of failure to exercise due care.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — A 26-year-old Buffalo woman has pleaded guilty to hitting a bicyclist while driving a pickup truck through a protest in Niagara Square last fall.

According to the Erie County District Attorney's Office, on September 23, 2020 around 8:45 p.m., Joanna Gollnau drove a pickup truck through Niagara Square during a demonstration in front of Buffalo City Hall. Gollnau failed to "exercise due care around a pedestrian" and hit a woman who was on a bicycle. 

The bicyclist, identified as Karen Huffman, was taken to the hospital where she was treated for physical injuries. Erie County District Attorney John Flynn told 2 On Your Side last November that Gollnau got out of the car and checked to see if Huffman was okay, but drove away because some protestors were threatening her. 

Gollnau pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of failure to exercise due care - a New York State vehicle and traffic law violation. She was then sentenced to a $200 fine and received two points against her New York State driver's license.

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