A woman surveys the area where the New York State Police reported that a speeding motorcyclist veered off Route 9 and collided with a group of pedestrians near Lake George Expedition Park, resulting in the tragic deaths of a 38-year-old individual and an 8-year-old child on Monday, June 13, 2022, in Lake George, N.Y. (Paul Buckowski/Times Union)Paul Buckowski/Albany Times Union.
QUEENSBURY — The motorcyclist responsible for the fatalities of a man and a child following a collision with a family on a hiking trail in 2022 has been sentenced to 15 years to life as announced on Tuesday.
Warren County Judge Robert Smith handed down the sentence after Anthony J. Futia, 34, from Albany, entered a plea of guilty to charges of aggravated vehicular homicide and assault. In January 2023, Futia acknowledged that he had recklessly driven his motorcycle at a high speed into a group of six individuals who were hiking on the Warren County Bikeway, near Bloody Pond Road, in June 2022.
The tragic incident claimed the lives of Lake George residents Jamie Persons, 38, and Quinton Delgadillo, 8, while also causing severe injuries to the young boy’s mother, Jasmine Luellen.
Before the sentencing, Futia also admitted guilt to charges of driving while impaired by a combination of drugs and alcohol, reckless driving, and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.
According to District Attorney Jason Carusone, Futia will serve his sentence in a state prison facility.
During the sentencing, the judge emphasized that Futia deserved a life sentence due to his status as a repeat offender with a criminal record that included two prior felony convictions.
Futia, who sustained serious injuries in the crash and claimed to have no recollection of the event, had a history of multiple driving suspensions, including one in 2019 for driving while impaired. Additionally, he did not possess a valid license to operate a car or motorcycle at the time of the tragic incident.
Futia had previously served time in state prison, with records from the Department of Corrections indicating a conviction for attempted assault, resulting in a sentence of 1½ to 3 years in the Downstate Correctional Facility in 2012. He was under community supervision until March 2018.