In August Wyatt J. Gould pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide. Prosecutors said he stayed up all night the day before the accident occurred and fell asleep behind the wheel, causing a fatal crash on New Year’s Day. (Photo from Norwich PD)

NORWICH – One the first day of the year, New Year’s Day January 1, 2025, a teen driver fell asleep and veered off the roadway onto a City of Norwich sidewalk and struck a pedestrian with his pick-up truck.

The victim, 68-year-old James C. Wright, was thrown by the impact and caught under debris. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

City of Norwich Police quickly arrived and detained the driver, 19-year-old Wyatt J. Gould and began a criminal investigation.

According to investigators at about 8 a.m. on January 1, Gould was traveling in a 2003 Chevy Silverado east on Cortland Street when he fell asleep. The truck left the road, crossed the sidewalk where Wright was walking, went through a fence and crashed into a house. The street is a 30-mile-per-hour speed zone in a residential area. Gould was uninjured in the crash.

The case was investigated for months by law enforcement officials who conducted an extensive review of the driver’s background and activities in the days leading up to the accident. Gould submitted to sobriety tests at the scene and blood samples were taken and sent to the New York State Police crime lab for detailed forensic analysis.

Though initially indicted for manslaughter and driving under the influence of suspected marijuana usage, Chenango County District Attorney Michael Ferrarese said as the case progressed, the forensic tests to definitively prove the driver was under the influence at the time of the accident were not conclusive.

Ferrarese said after interviewing associates of the defendant, police investigators believe Gould had stayed up all night and used a vaping device a day before the accident took place and blood tests did find traces of THC.

However, the findings were unable to determine if the drug was still active, or if the driver was under the influence at the time of the accident, he said.

The D.A. said marijuana was not illegal and screening could be complicated. He said Gould showed no signs of being under the influence during police questioning or during the sobriety tests following the accident.

With the final forensic tests inconclusive, the DUI offense, which was connected to the manslaughter charge, were both removed from the final plea.

In July Chenango County Court Judge Frank Revoir listened to a crying and apologetic Gould make a guilty plea to criminally negligent homicide. Accepting a plea deal, Gould was sentenced in August to 6 months at the Chenango County Correctional Facility and five years of probation. He also pleaded guilty to failure to keep right and will pay about $5,850 in damages.

At the sentencing the D.A. read a statement from the family.

“Our family is now left with a huge void without James. He was a husband, a brother, a stepdad, an uncle, a co-worker, an army veteran, a friend, and more to so many. James loved to host our family gatherings and holidays, get-togethers, which will never be the same without him.

“James also lost out on his hard-earned retirement. He planned to retire from Frontier and enjoy the rest of his life, spending time at his lake camp and traveling the world with his wife, family, and friends. All of this is the result of Wyatt Gould's choices on January 1.

“While you're in jail for six months and on probation for five years, we hope that you reflect back on this poor decision and learn from it, and others learn from it as well,” read Ferrarese, adding “They hope he chooses to be a better person moving forward.”

Gould was arrested on March 20 after a sealed grand jury indictment was revealed. He was charged and released without bail on the same day.

The plea was made after consultation with the victim’s family, including his wife and siblings, explained Ferrarese. He said the maximum time in prison was between 1 to 3 years for the criminally negligent homicide charge.

Norwich Police said Gould had no criminal history and cooperated. Prosecutors said he was a local resident all his life and had a full-time job at the time of his arrest. Investigators said there were no direct witnesses to the crash, but many neighbors heard it and ran outside seconds after it happened.

Ferrarese said Gould was open with investigators from the onset of the investigation, admitting his role and expressing sincere remorse. Gould could be seen openly crying in court during his plea.

He said the defendant answered questions from police and prosecutors and was prepared to accept responsibility for his actions, effectively throwing himself at the mercy of the court.

“He took full responsibility from day one from speaking with police and accepting responsibility,” said the D.A.

“He will be strapped with a felony conviction for the rest of his life and will have to live with the fact he caused the death of another human being at the age of 19,” said Ferrarese.