On the night of July 8, 2011, Dr. James G. Corasanti, a prominent Amherst gastroenterologist, struck and killed eighteen-year-old Alexandria “Alix” Rice with his BMW as she rode her longboard home from work on Heim Road. The accident involving Dr. Corasanti became one of Western New York’s most contentious legal stories: he had been drinking at a country club event, did not stop at the scene, was acquitted of every felony charge against him, and was convicted only of misdemeanor driving while intoxicated. A wrongful death lawsuit later ended in a confidential settlement, and a reform bill named after Rice has repeatedly passed the State Senate but never become law.
What Happened on Heim Road
At roughly 11:30 p.m., Corasanti was driving home on Heim Road in Amherst, a Buffalo suburb in Erie County. Rice was traveling in the same direction on a longboard skateboard after finishing a work shift.1Spectrum News. Settlement in Corasanti Trial The impact threw her approximately 167 feet. She was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead at 12:04 a.m. on July 9.2New York State Unified Court System. Rice v Corasanti, 122 AD3d 1374
Prosecutors said Corasanti had been drinking at a martini golf event at Transit Valley Country Club earlier that evening and may have been texting at the moment of impact. Investigators estimated his speed between 46 and 52 miles per hour; a defense expert later put it just under 40.3Utica Observer-Dispatch. Utica Native on Trial in Skateboarder Death
Corasanti did not stop. He drove to his home in Getzville. He later testified he felt the car run over “something in the road” but did not realize he had hit a person until he reached home and saw human tissue on his crumpled hood. He did not call police. He called his attorney and left the house before officers arrived.3Utica Observer-Dispatch. Utica Native on Trial in Skateboarder Death
The Criminal Charges and Acquittal
Corasanti was indicted on vehicular manslaughter, manslaughter, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, and tampering with physical evidence. The trial took place in Erie County Court before Judge Sheila DiTullio. Prosecutors argued he was drunk, distracted, and speeding, and that his blood alcohol content remained above the legal limit five hours after the crash.4Utica Observer-Dispatch. Doctor, Former Utican, Acquitted in Skateboarder Death
His defense team, led by attorneys Joel Daniels, Tom Burton, and Cheryl Meyers-Buth, built the case on a single idea: Corasanti genuinely did not know he had hit a person. They argued that Rice was a small figure in non-reflective clothing crouched on a longboard, and that the soundproofing of the BMW could have masked the impact. On cross-examination, Daniels drew out inconsistencies in the testimony of the prosecution’s key eyewitness, motorist Mark Rowland, including misidentification of the vehicle’s color and make. Scientific experts challenged the Amherst police reconstruction.5Niagara Falls Reporter. Corasanti Defense Analysis
After two days of deliberations, the jury acquitted Corasanti of every felony. He was convicted only of misdemeanor driving while intoxicated.4Utica Observer-Dispatch. Doctor, Former Utican, Acquitted in Skateboarder Death The verdict provoked wide anger across Western New York, with much of the reaction centered on the perception that a wealthy physician had been shielded by his resources.6Niagara Falls Reporter. Corasanti Case Community Reaction
Sentencing and Professional Fallout
On August 16, 2012, Judge DiTullio sentenced Corasanti to one year in jail, the maximum for the misdemeanor conviction.7Buffalo Business First. Corasanti Sentenced to One Year in Jail
The New York State Board for Professional Medical Conduct issued a consent order against him effective August 13, 2012. He admitted the misdemeanor DWI and received a censure and reprimand, a $10,000 fine, and five years of probation. The Workers’ Compensation Board suspended his authorization to treat injured workers in January 2013 and revoked it entirely effective July 30, 2013.8New York State Workers’ Compensation Board. Revocation of Authorization, James G. Corasanti
Corasanti kept his medical license. He is listed as a gastroenterology provider with General Physician, a Western New York medical network, with locations in Hamburg, Buffalo, and Depew.9General Physician PC. Gastroenterology Providers Medicare records show he holds board certifications in gastroenterology and internal medicine.10Medicare.gov. James G. Corasanti, MD Provider Profile
The Wrongful Death Lawsuit and Settlement
Alix Rice’s parents, Tammy Schueler and Richard Rice, filed a wrongful death action in Supreme Court, Erie County, claiming wrongful death, conscious pain and suffering, pre-impact terror, psychic injury, and punitive damages. In 2014, the Fourth Department affirmed denial of Corasanti’s motion to dismiss the punitive damages and pain-and-suffering claims, finding triable issues of fact.2New York State Unified Court System. Rice v Corasanti, 122 AD3d 1374
The civil trial began in Buffalo in February 2015. Corasanti’s wife, Laureen, testified that she and her husband had driven separately to the country club event, that he appeared “upset” when he arrived home, and that after they inspected the damage and saw an ambulance heading toward Heim Road she called an attorney friend rather than police. Rowland testified that Rice had been “very visible” and that Corasanti’s vehicle was traveling “very fast,” with the driver appearing to be “looking down.” The family’s attorney, Terry Connors, alleged a large portion of the BMW had crossed the fog line into the lane where Rice was skating.11Spectrum News. Corasanti Civil Trial Day 6
On February 24, 2015, before Corasanti took the stand, the parties settled and the jury was excused. The amount was not disclosed. Connors described it as “at the top end of all reported cases in the state of New York for the death of an 18-year-old.”12WIVB. Corasanti Reaches Settlement With Rice Family The money came from three sources: insurance, a separate settlement with Transit Valley Country Club, and a “significant” personal contribution from Corasanti himself. Connors said the family chose to settle partly to avoid three to five years of appeals and partly because New York’s wrongful death statute could have led an appellate court to reduce a large jury verdict.1Spectrum News. Settlement in Corasanti Trial The family said they had mixed feelings, having wanted a jury to formally hold Corasanti responsible.
Alix’s Law
The case exposed a gap in New York law. An intoxicated driver who leaves the scene of a fatal crash can avoid the most serious charges by claiming he did not know he had hit anyone, which is the defense that produced Corasanti’s felony acquittals. State Senator Patrick M. Gallivan responded with legislation known as Alix’s Law, which would amend Section 600 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law to create a legal presumption that an intoxicated driver involved in a collision knew or had reason to know contact, damage, or injury occurred. The presumption would stand unless the driver could demonstrate they would not have known regardless of their intoxication. The bill would also require any driver who knows or has reason to know they have hit a person or property to conduct a “reasonable and good faith investigation.”13New York State Senate. S907, Alix’s Law
The bill has been introduced in every legislative session since 2011-2012. It passed the State Senate unanimously in 2013-14, 2015-16, and 2017-18, and each time stalled in the Assembly Transportation Committee. As of 2026, the current version, S907, remains in the Senate Transportation Committee and has not been enacted.13New York State Senate. S907, Alix’s Law
The Alix Rice Peace Park
After her daughter’s death, Tammy Schueler founded the Alix Rice Peace Park Foundation to build a skate park in Rice’s memory. The Tony Hawk Foundation contributed $7,500 in 2014, when the family had raised roughly $220,000.14WGRZ. Tony Hawk Gives $7,500 Towards Alix Rice Skate Park The Alix Rice Peace Park, a 10,000-square-foot concrete skate park with two bowls, stairs, ramps, rails, and a peace symbol built into the ground, opened at the Northtown Center in Amherst on August 4, 2018. It was the first skate park in Western New York to include a bowl.15WIVB. Alix Rice Peace Park Celebrates Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting The foundation funded the seven-year effort through public donations and the sale of commemorative bricks.16BTPM. Alix Rice Skate Park, a Six Year Labor of Love, Opens Saturday