Colden teenager involved in fatal car crash that left three dead sentenced as a juvenile offender

BUFFALO, NY – A Colden teenager who pleaded guilty for her role in a February 2023 car crash that killed three of her passengers was sentenced Monday in Erie County Court.

Jayla L. Mueller, 19, was sentenced to 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison. The court classified Mueller as a juvenile offender because of her age at the time of the incident. Judge Susan Eagan imposed the sentence on the condition that Mueller remain free, complete the pre-sentence investigation and appear in court for sentencing. Her driver’s license was also suspended.

Mueller, 19, pleaded guilty in April to three counts of manslaughter and one count of reckless driving. She pleaded guilty to all four counts. Prosecutors say Mueller was speeding on the John James Audubon Parkway and lost control of her vehicle on the Millersport Highway ramp.

Azathiel Pabon, 18, Isabella French, 19, and Dakota Eldridge, 20, died after being thrown from Mueller’s car. Mueller and a fourth passenger suffered minor injuries.