Lockport, NY — UPDATE: Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty in Fatal 2024 Hit-and-Run Case
June 23, 2025 — In a dramatic turn of events nearly nine months after a horrific incident that shook the Niagara Falls community, 20-year-old Patrick J. Washington III, of Buffalo, has pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in connection with the brutal death of 26-year-old Xavier Gober. The plea was entered Monday in Niagara County Court, bringing a painful chapter closer to resolution for Gober’s family and loved ones.
Washington now faces up to 25 years in state prison when he is sentenced in September 2025. The guilty plea, accepted by prosecutors and the court, spares the community the trauma of a full trial but does little to soften the devastating reality of what occurred in the early hours of October 15, 2024.
That morning, around 2:36 a.m., first responders were called to the intersection of Hyde Park Boulevard and D Street in Niagara Falls following reports of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle. When emergency crews from Niagara Falls Fire Department and AMR Ambulance arrived, they found Xavier Gober critically injured. Despite their best efforts, Gober was pronounced dead at the scene.
What initially may have seemed like a tragic accident quickly evolved into a deeply disturbing criminal investigation. Detectives soon determined that the fatality was the result of a violent altercation involving multiple individuals, and that the driver had intentionally used his vehicle as a weapon during the conflict.
The Niagara Gazette previously reported that video footage captured the shocking and cold-blooded nature of the attack. According to the evidence, Washington not only struck Gober with his vehicle, but reversed and ran over him again, before driving forward over the victim a final time. Prosecutors say the footage was a pivotal factor in securing the manslaughter plea, as it provided a clear and damning record of the intentionality behind Washington’s actions.
Niagara County District Attorney’s Office praised the work of local law enforcement and first responders in piecing together the complex case.
“This was a horrific act of violence that took the life of a young man in a way that is both senseless and unforgivable,” said one official close to the investigation. “While nothing will bring Xavier back, today’s plea is a step toward justice.”
For Xavier Gober’s family, the past nine months have been filled with unimaginable grief. Loved ones describe Gober as a kind-hearted and hardworking young man with dreams that were tragically cut short. In the aftermath of his death, the community came together with candlelight vigils, fundraisers, and public calls for justice.
While the plea provides legal closure, many say the emotional healing will take much longer.
“Xavier didn’t deserve what happened to him. Our family is grateful that there’s accountability, but there’s no peace in knowing we have to live without him every single day,” a family member shared in a statement following the plea hearing.
Washington remains in custody at the Niagara County Jail as he awaits sentencing. The court has set a formal sentencing date for September 9, 2025, where family members of the victim are expected to deliver emotional impact statements before the judge hands down the final punishment.
This case remains a stark reminder of how quickly disputes can escalate into deadly violence — and how one reckless act can devastate multiple lives in an instant.
As the city of Niagara Falls continues to grapple with the consequences of this senseless tragedy, community leaders are urging young people to seek peaceful resolutions to conflict and to remember the very real and permanent consequences of unchecked anger and violence.