Allyson Rollek

OBSERVER Staff Report

BUFFALO — A Collins woman is headed to prison after she killed a man in an automobile accident while under the influence of drugs.

Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announced Monday that 26-year-old Allyson Rollek has been sentenced by Erie County Court Judge Kenneth Case to an indeterminate sentence of 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison.

On Sept. 29, 2018, at approximately 2:15 p.m., the defendant was driving westbound on Creek Road in the town of Concord when she crossed over the double yellow line into the eastbound lane and collided head-on with another vehicle. The crash killed the driver of the other vehicle, 66-year-old Ralph Spaulding of Java Center, and injured his 11-year-old passenger.

The Erie County Sheriff’s Office deputies who spoke with the defendant at the scene reported that her manner of speech and demeanor was consistent with narcotic use. Laboratory tests were conducted, which detected the presence of fentanyl in the defendant’s blood.

Rollek pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree vehicular manslaughter, a Class “D” felony. The defendant pleaded guilty to the highest possible charge on June 7.

DA Flynn commends the Erie County Sheriff’s Office Accident Investigation Unit for their work in the investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Christopher M. McCarthy of the DA’s Vehicular Crimes Bureau.