Man pleads not guilty after turning himself in following deadly hit-and-run

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A man pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on Friday after he turned himself in to Rochester Police, following a deadly hit-and-run on West Avenue.

Paolo Smith, 41, turned himself in on Thursday. He now faces charges of manslaughter and leaving the scene of a deadly crash. The judge has set his bail at $50,000.

The hit-and-run happened a week earlier just before midnight. Lashawnda Leggett, 46, was sitting on a railing in the parking lot outside P.I.’s Number One Lounge when she was hit and killed. She was rushed to Strong Hospital where she died of her injuries.

Rochester Police say the driver backed up, slamming into her with enough force to smash a wall. Many of Leggett’s family members were in the courtroom on Friday.

Smith’s next court appearance is on Wednesday, Aug. 14 for a preliminary hearing.