West Seneca Man Arrested in Fatal Hit & Run

[samanthajane13]

Story Published: Aug 17, 2007 at 7:02 PM EDT
Story Updated: Aug 17, 2007 at 7:26 PM EDT

By Ginger Geoffery

Police say Christopher Andrews has a criminal record. He also lied to them during their investigation, and tried to flee Western New York after the fatal crash, but because of a quirk in the law Andrews is likely facing only a few years in jail if convicted for this deadly crash.

Twenty-eight-year-old Christopher Andrews was in the 24 Karat Gold strip club on Route 5 shortly before the hit-and-run accident Wednesday night. The club attorney says they kicked Andrews out for "inappropriate" conduct around 10:00. Approximately 45 minutes later police say Andrews fatally struck 13-year-old Courtney Koehler with his SUV near the intersection of Warsaw and Linden streets in Lackawanna.

"Mr. Andrews fled the scene," says Lackawanna Police Captain Ronald Miller, "Even this morning he showed an arrogance, a cockiness and a lack of remorse."

Andrews appeared in court Friday morning to face charges of criminally negligent homicide and leaving the scene of a fatal accident. Witness tips helped police track down and arrest Andrews nearly 24 hours after the accident, but that's too late to determine if he was under the influence at the time of the crash which would make charges against him more serious. "Criminally negligent homicide is the best I have at this time," says Miller, "A "D" felony. What's that? 3 1/2 - 5 years in jail. We have a little girl who's dead."

Police say after the fatal accident Andrews went to McDonald's to get something to eat and then around midnight tried to get back in the 24 Karat Gold strip club where he'd been kicked out earlier. When police finally caught up with Andrews the next day they say he had $2800 in his pocket. "We believe he was preparing to flee Western New York," says Miller.

Andrews' attorney Tom Eonnaou says his client was not trying to flee, he was actually on his way to turn himself in. "He is devastated," says Eonnaou, "Unable to speak."

Management for the 24 Karat Gold club could not confirm if Andrews was drinking at their club on the night of the accident.

[samanthajane13]

Autopsy set on girl, 13, victim of hit-run SUV


Updated: 08/18/07 7:26 AM


An autopsy is scheduled for today on a teenage girl who died after a hitand- run accident in Lackawanna.


Meanwhile, the man charged with hitting Courtney Koehler, 13, of Hamburg, is being held in the Erie County Holding Center in lieu of $500,000 bail.

Though Courtney was pronounced brain-dead Thursday, she was kept on a ventilator at Women and Children’s Hospital so organs could be kept viable for donation.

Christopher S. Andrews, 28, of West Seneca, was arraigned Friday in Lackawanna City Court on felony charges of criminally negligent homicide and leaving the scene of a fatal accident. Andrews was speeding down Warsaw Street late Wednesday when he hit Courtney, who ran to get out of his way, police said.

[samanthajane13]

13-year-old girl struck in hit-run is declared brain-dead

Lackawanna police question SUV owner

By Janice L. Habuda
Updated: 08/17/07 9:25 AM


A 13-year-old girl was declared brain-dead Thursday and Lackawanna police arrested the motorist suspected of hitting her and taking off.

Courtney Koehler, of Hamburg, remains on a ventilator in Women and Children’s Hospital, pending the donation of her organs, according to Capt. Ronald Miller, chief of detectives.

Christopher S. Andrews, 28, of Oakbrook Drive, West Seneca, was charged with criminally negligent homicide and leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

Police were told that a death certificate had been signed, so that the girl's organs could be donated.

"You have to have a death certificate to harvest the organs, but there still has to be oxygen flow to keep the organs alive," one person familiar with the situation explained today.

Police said they believe Andrews was preparing to leave the area when he was tracked down.

“He was found in Buffalo in a borrowed vehicle with $2,000 in cash in his pocket,” Miller said. “We believe he was trying to flee the area.”

At about 10:45 p.m. Wednesday, Courtney was just steps away from the sidewalk when a sport utility vehicle hit her on Warsaw Street, near Linden Street.

“At the time she was hit she was running to get out of the way of the vehicle. She was right at the curb when struck,” Miller said. “One witness stated it appeared the vehicle actually swerved toward her to hit her.” Courtney was hit by the right front fender and went up into the air, then landed on the windshield.

Miller said Courtney was an honor pupil at Lackawanna Middle School before moving to Hamburg.

“She came back to visit her friends before school started up again,” he said.

On Thursday, the SUV believed to be involved in the accident was located outside a residence on Big Tree Road in the Town of Hamburg.

jhabuda@buffnews.com (jhabuda@buffnews.com)

[samanthajane13]

13-Year-Old Hit & Run Victim Remembered
Updated by: Kim DeGeorge-Pike (kdegeorg@wgrz.gannett.com?subject=RE:13-Year-Old Hit & Run Victim Remembered), Assignment Desk Editor
Posted by: Matt Pitts (mpitts@wgrz.gannett.com?subject=RE:13-Year-Old Hit & Run Victim Remembered), Producer

Created: 8/16/2007 10:54:38 PM
Updated: 8/20/2007 7:34:42 AM


"A lot of you used to call me mommy," said Stacey Koehler Saturday night, "please don't forget that Courtney needs you. I need you."

Stacey, her husband Ken and their four other children were among more than one hundred people at Saturday night's vigil. Friends gathered around the grieving family at the intersection of Warsaw and Linden in Lackawanna where Courtney was struck by a hit and run driver Wednesday night.

"I know that my baby is very loved. Every single person that loved my baby, their love was returned. She loved all of these people so much," said Courtney's mom Saturday night.

"You love your own kids with all your heart," said Courtney's father Ken, "it's amazing to see people come out and show their support like this."

Ken Koehler remembered his daughter with one word: love. He said he'd often refer to her as his twin because the two looked alike. Stacey Koehler remembered Courtney as a little girl who loved to read, and grew up bowling, playing softball, and had recently taken up horse back riding.

Lackawanna Police say the 13-year-old Hamburg girl was injured in a hit and run accident Wednesday night.

Investigators say Koehler was waiting near the curb with her sister when the accident happened. She was declared brain dead in the intensive care unit at Women and Children's Hospital in Buffalo. Her parents tell 2 On Your Side, they took her off life support Friday morning.

"I ask you to keep her memory alive here in Lackawanna," she said to the crowd of people.

Police have charged Christopher Andrews, 29, of West Seneca, with leaving the scene of a fatal accident and criminally negligent homicide.

Captain Ronald Miller says Andrews was picked up Thursday night at a local convenience store while picking up supplies and gas. Miller added he also had $2800 in his pocket and suspects Andrews may have been planning to leave the area.

Andrews was arraigned Friday morning in Lackawanna City Court.

Courtney's parents are still struggling to understand his actions.

"I feel sorry for (his) parents," said Stacey Koehler, "You didn't raise a human being, you didn't raise a human being. You don't do something like that, take a 13 year old's life and then go to McDonald's. It doesn't work that way."

"There's a lot of anger," added Ken Koehler, "No sentence that they could give him could ever take back her life."

[samanthajane13]

Driver Charged in Fatal Hit and Run
Story Published: Aug 17, 2007 at 12:57 PM EDT
Story Updated: Aug 17, 2007 at 12:57 PM EDT

By John Borsa

Lackawanna Police made an arrest late Thursday night in a fatal hit and run in Lackawanna. Christopher S. Andrews, 29, of West Seneca is charged with Criminally Negligent Homicide and Leaving the Scene of an Accident, both felonies.

Detectives say he was behind the wheel of his SUV Wednesday night and allegedly ran down 13-year-old Courtney Koeler of Hamburg while she was standing on the sidewalk, waiting for her mother to pick her up after visiting a friend.

[Matsura]

I can't believe NY State laws are so backwards that a man can hit and kill some one and flee the scene of the accident and basically he gets away with the more serious charges he would have faced if apprehended and did not flee. So your telling me if I commit vehicular homicide in NY while drunk the smartest thing to do is try and leave the scene and hide out until sober. Hit and run after VH is better then VH while drunk?? I thought NY was as civilized place as any, the law enforcement as capable and that law makers there were beyond average intelligence. Wrong, a drunken criminal buffone has proved wiser then all legal enforcement officers and law makers in the state. And because of ther ineptness some strip bar pervert is getting away with murder.:shrug: :patriot:

[samanthajane13]

Welcome to NY State!!!