Buffalo NY Teen Driver In Deadly Kia Crash To Stay In Adult Court

The teenage driver of the stolen Kia that crashed on the Kensington Expressway at the 33 in Buffalo will remain in adult court. The 16-year-old male, Julian Armstead, has been charged in connection to the deaths of four teenagers. He was arraigned on the charges against him on November 22, 2022, before Erie County Court Judge Susan Eagan, a designated Youth Part Judge. Armstead was charged with the following offenses:

- Four counts of Manslaughter in the Second Degree (Class “C” felonies)
- One count of Assault in the First Degree (Class “B” violent felony)
- One count of Assault in the Second Degree (Class “D” felony)
- One count of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Third Degree (Class “D” felony)

According to WGRZ, the judge decided today, Friday, December 9, that Armstead would remain in adult court after his defense argued that his case should be moved to family court.

Credit: WGRZ via Youtube

Four Buffalo Teens Die In Possible Kia Challenge Crash

The devastating crash took place on Monday, October 24, at approximately 6:45 am. Armstead was allegedly operating a vehicle, without the owner’s consent, when the crash occurred near the entrance to the westbound 33 (Scajaquada) Expressway. The Kia Sportage that was involved in the fatal accident had been reported stolen earlier that morning. All five passengers were thrown from the vehicle.

Killed in the crash were a 17-year-old male, a 16-year-old male, and a 14-year-old female. Those three victims were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. A 19-year-old male who was also in the vehicle died at Erie County Medical Center. The final passenger, a 14-year-old female, received serious injuries and was hospitalized at ECMC.

The incident may have been a part of the TikTok 'Kia Challenge." According to Auto Body News,

The "Kia Challenge" shows social media users how to steal certain Kia and Hyundai models by simply removing the plastic cowl under the steering column and using a USB cable.

My thoughts are with all of the families and people involved in this. Four young lives were taken and two will never be the same.