Driver convicted of vehicular homicide in 2021 Henrietta crash that killed a passenger

MONROE COUNTY, N.Y. — A 43-year-old man has been convicted of aggravated vehicular homicide and other charges in connection with a 2021 crash in Henrietta that killed one of his passengers. Police determined that William Shanahan, the driver, was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time.

William Shanahan was found guilty by a Monroe County jury Tuesday, Oct. 10, of aggravated vehicular homicide, aggravated vehicular assault, second-degree vehicular manslaughter, first-degree vehicular manslaughter, second-degree vehicular assault, criminally negligent homicide, aggravated driving while intoxicated, driving while ability impaired by drugs, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

Shanahan, of West Seneca, was driving east on I-90 in the town of Henrietta at about 6:45 a.m. on Aug. 3, 2021, when he started driving erratically — swerving from the right to the left lane — according to the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office. The vehicle flipped several times, and all the passengers — two adults and two children — were ejected. One of the adult passengers, 33-year-old Dustin Jones of West Seneca, died from his injuries at the hospital. the other adult passenger was seriously injured; the children were injured as well.

Shanahan will be sentenced Nov. 22 in front of state Supreme Court Justice Alex Renzi.

“I want to thank the New York State Police for their detailed investigation that helped lead to today’s verdict,” said Assistant District Attorney Janna Koch. “William Shanahan acted in an incredibly destructive, reckless manner when he made the choice to drive under the influence of drugs, taking the life of his passenger and endangering the lives of all other passengers in the vehicle.  It is our hope that the family of Dustin Jones can find peace in today’s verdict.”