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BALLSTON SPA -- A
Niskayuna man six days shy of his 19th birthday pleaded guilty Tuesday in
Saratoga County Court to hitting and killing bicyclist David Ryan with his
car last June.
Joshua Paniccia of Lynwood Drive
will be sentenced on June 6 to one to three years in state prison on one
count of negligent homicide, a felony.
Paniccia was driving a 2002 Nissan Sentra at more than 80 mph in a 40 mph
zone at 7:30 p.m. on June 29 when he hit Ryan on Riverview Road in Clifton Park.
Paniccia claimed he was trying to catch up to his friend, Saratoga County
District Attorney James A. Murphy III said.
Ryan, 32, also of Niskayuna, was a
physicist with General Electric.
This is the first plea of its kind in Saratoga County
involving no alcohol, no drugs, high speed and a fatal crash.
'Mr Ryan was in no way responsible for any wrongdoing here,' Murphy said.
'He was blindsided. He died instantly.'
He said he's been in contact with Ryan's family in England.
'I hope that this sentence sends a message that there are tough
consequences for road racing and speeding in Saratoga County
and violators will go to state prison.'
Paniccia was originally charged with one count each of manslaughter and
criminally negligent homicide. Had he gone to trial, the maximum sentence
for the charges could have been 15 years in state prison.
His attorney Charles Wilcox said his client decided to plea to the lesser
charge, 'in light of his age and the charge.'
'He is accepting responsibility for the charge,' Wilcox said. 'It's not a
happy day for either family. He is accepting the situation and moving on.
He has remorseful feelings toward Mr. Ryan.'
The defendant may be granted youthful offender status by Judge Jerry J.
Scarano at the June sentencing.
That would mean the time served in prison would not be shown on Paniccia's
record after his release.
Through Murphy, Ryan's family said they view the sentence as only a token.
'Any less would cause us considerable grief,' they said.
Several of Ryan's fellow cyclists who have been intently following the case
were in the court room to hear the plea.
Walter Cicha, who has been the most outspoken, said, 'You can't come out of
here with a good reaction. Someone is going to prison. Parents have to take
more responsibility for their kids. This was preventable and a bloody
shame.'
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