Attorney Arrested In Hamburg Hit-and-Run

Police have arrested attorney John Duffy of Orchard Park and charged him in connection with the death of Meghan Sorbera, 19.

Lieutenant Kevin Trask said Duffy, who practices law in Hamburg, hit and killed the Hilbert College student while driving home around 1:40 a.m. Saturday.

Duffy's attorney, Dan Chiacchia, said his client was at a Sabres game earlier in the evening and police said he was at a bar just prior to the accident. Chiacchia said his client had been drinking but said it was "not much."

Duffy is charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident and Trask said other charges could follow. While he said the defendant turned himself into authorities Tuesday evening, it was not until police contacted him and confronted him with their evidence.

While Trask said Duffy told police he thought he'd hit a trash can, detectives believe he knew what he had done because they said he attempted to hide damage to his car.

Trask said once a search warrant was obtained, detectives found broken headlight pieces inside a bag of shredded leaves which was thrown into a trash can at Duffy's home.

Police have said Sorbera was walking on the shoulder of South Park Avenue with two friends near Erie County Fairgrounds when she was struck.

Sorbera's funeral was Friday with a memorial service following at Hilbert College on Monday. 

Hilbert's President, Cynthia Zane, said Sorbera was a bright and engaging forensics student from the Cooperstown area.

"We're all praying for her and her family, as well as all the students and the whole community here at Hilbert, who are just grieving so deeply," Zane said.

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