Skip to main content

Driver in fatal Bethany crash enters guilty plea to vehicular manslaughter

By Howard B. Owens
mug_hannah_dibble_july2015.jpg
   Hannah Dibble

The driver in an accident in Bethany in February that claimed the life of an 18-year-old Genesee Community College student entered a guilty plea in County Court this morning to one count of second-degree vehicular manslaughter and DWI with a plea deal that caps her sentence to six months in county jail and five years on probation.

Hannah C. Dibble, 22, of Corfu, will also lose her driver's license and any vehicle that she might drive will be required to have an interlock ignition device.

After going through a series of alcohol-rehabilitation treatments, Dibble was scheduled to appear in court this morning with her attorney Benjamin Bonarigo on a hearing for motions to suppress some evidence in the case, but when the case was called, ADA Will Zickl told Noonan a plea deal had been reached in the case.

Dibble was at the wheel of a 1997 Chevrolet Geo on Feb. 21 when it crossed Route 20 at Molasses Hill Road, Bethany, and was struck by a semi-truck.

There were four passengers in her car at the time, including Alyson D. Krzanak, 18, of Corfu, who died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash. Suffering serious physical injuries in the collision Feb. 21 were James Scherer, 21, Brandon Danser, 22, and Felecia J. Fazzio, 20.

Bonarigo informed the court that Dibble remains in in-patient treatment and will enter a halfway house shortly after the first of the year.

The terms of the sentence are known as "shock probation," giving a defendant a taste of jail and five years of rules to follow and monitoring after release.

Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 23.

After the case was adjourned, Judge Robert C. Noonan told Dibble, "I'm happy to see the recent report (on her progress), especially after the stumble you took early on, so keep on the right track."

jeff saquella

wow 6 months is very leniant for the life of 1 person and the trauma of 3 others. I'm sure the parents of those 4 kids are not very happy about this

Nov 23, 2015, 12:02pm Permalink
david spaulding

jeff, you're not sure of anything. let's make you the judge, you have all the facts of this case. why don't you share with us the right sentence this lady deserves.?

Nov 24, 2015, 4:00pm Permalink
Lisa Woltz

A woman gets 1 1/2 years in prison for biting a nurse. Woman has mental issues. The nurse is still alive.

This young woman, drinks, drives, kills one young woman, injures 3 others, gets sent to jail, sent home and told not to drink, drinks, sent home to go to rehab, but "DON'T go out in the front yard", goes to rehab out of state... etc. etc... 6 months county jail and 5 years probation. Parents. Lifetime sentence without their child. Hmmmm

Nov 24, 2015, 6:24pm Permalink
Lisa Woltz

Killing someone isn't? That is outrageous! Endangering three other lives isn't? Driving Under the Influence in the event of a death is usually a charge of vehicular homicide. This girl is going to get off with 6 months and probation with "Shock probation"? I'm sorry, I feel that's bull! I don't care what or who she's related to! Vehicular Homicide is a felony too!

Nov 25, 2015, 1:44am Permalink
Daniel Jones

She's a first time offender and there's no reason for her to serve some arcane sentence because of a bloodthirsty crowd, whereby she will go to prison and become an actual hardcore criminal on the inside at taxpayer expense. We can pay $70k per year for a decade or longer to have her sit in prison, or we can give her an extended probationary period and ensure that she will actually start living a productive life. Seems like a no brainer to me. Justice is better served when the convict can pay their penance in a way that doesn't turn them into a drain on the society that they're supposed to be re-compensating.

Nov 25, 2015, 5:56am Permalink
Lisa Woltz

This is not the first time she has offended. Even on this charge, she was put back in jail for violating her condition for release for drinking and she has been arrested before. I've seen lesser go into prison for this. Is it about the money really?

As for "paying her penance". What about the parents who won't be able to see their child? Will they be able to "pay their penance" also?

Bloodthirsty is hardly what I would call it Sir.I would call it justice. If the sentence fits the crime, then serve it.

Nov 25, 2015, 10:25am Permalink
jeff saquella

absolutly lisa....if the sentence fits the crime then serve it...obviously this sentence does not even come close to fitting the crime she committed.maybe if it was dan or dave's kid that was injured or lost their lives they would feel different about it...god help both of them

Nov 25, 2015, 11:58am Permalink
Lisa Woltz

Thank you Jeff. Penance isn't something a parent should have to pay for someone else's actions. Especially, drinking and driving. The law is the law. You drink, you drive, you pay the price. You drink, you drive, you injure or kill, you pay the price.

I, unfortunately, don't fit in that category. My son was killed head on with a semi loaded (80,000 lbs). Florida law is a no fault state. No one was drinking, both driving the speed limit, two lane road, someone crossed the line- My son is gone.

That driver did "pay penance". He started teaching my class that I started in Chautauqua County back in 1999 for Driver's Safety and Awareness Around Big Trucks. It was a class for teens getting their license. He started teaching it down in Florida six months after my son died in 2000. It was my son which wanted me to started it. Unfortunately, it was a semi that ended up ending my 17 year old's life.

Nov 25, 2015, 4:11pm Permalink
Sheila West

Lisa so sorry to hear of your loss. No parent should have to feel that pain. My heart goes out to you and also to the family of Alyson Krzanak for the loss of their beautiful daughter.

Nov 30, 2015, 10:54am Permalink

Authentically Local