Driver Faces Manslaughter Charges After Deadly U-Haul Chase Ends in Erie Canal Tragedy

A high-speed pursuit involving a U-Haul truck culminated in a horrific tragedy early Friday morning, leaving one woman dead after the vehicle plunged into the Erie Canal. The driver, identified as 31-year-old Cody F. Miller of Medina, is now facing a litany of charges, including manslaughter, following the devastating incident.

Authorities reported that the perilous chase began around 3:45 a.m.

on Niagara Street in Lockport. Police initiated the pursuit after the U-Haul truck failed to comply with a traffic stop. The chase intensified, spanning approximately four miles through the pre-dawn streets before taking a catastrophic turn.

The pursuit ended abruptly when Miller, allegedly at the wheel of the fleeing U-Haul, lost control of the vehicle.

It veered sharply and plunged into the frigid waters of the Erie Canal near the intersection of Ohio Street and Van Buren Street. Emergency services were immediately dispatched to the scene, confronted by the grim sight of the partially submerged truck.

Miller was successfully rescued from the canal and subsequently transported to ECMC for treatment of what were described as minor injuries.

However, the fate of his passenger, 33-year-old Jennifer Ann Cowles of Lockport, was far more tragic. Her body was later recovered a short distance from the crash site, confirming fears that the incident had claimed a life.

The consequences for Miller are severe. He has been charged with a range of offenses reflecting the gravity of the crash and the preceding events.

These include manslaughter in the second degree, criminally negligent homicide, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree.

Further charges underscore the recklessness of the pursuit, including reckless endangerment in the first degree, unlawful fleeing a police officer in the third degree, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the first degree, and reckless driving, alongside multiple traffic infractions.

The incident has cast a somber shadow over the community as investigators continue to piece together the full circumstances that led to this avoidable loss of life.