Staff Report / January 10. 2026
Steuben County – A local man has received a state prison sentence for his role in a fatal 2024 motor vehicle crash in the town of Cohocton.
On Friday, 32-year-old Lukas Ellsessor, of Angelica, was sentenced in Steuben County Court to a prison term of 4–12 years, to be served concurrently with a one-year term in the Steuben County Jail in Bath. He will remain in Steuben County Jail without bail pending transfer to a state facility.
Ellsessor was convicted on charges including Second-Degree Manslaughter, Recklessly Causing Death, and Driving Under the Influence of Drugs and Alcohol in connection with a crash that occurred in July 2024 on State Route 371 near the intersection with State Route 21 in Cohocton.
According to New York State Police reports from the original investigation, Ellsessor was driving a 2017 Dodge Caravan when he attempted to pass another vehicle in a no-passing zone. The vehicle left the roadway and rolled over, ejecting his passenger, 26-year-old Adrian V. Gregory-Kielbasa, also of Angelica. Gregory-Kielbasa was pronounced dead at the scene.
Ellsessor was treated at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester for minor injuries after the crash. Earlier felony charges had been filed in July 2025, including vehicular manslaughter, reckless endangerment, and impaired driving stemming from the crash.
Sentencing in the case reflects the serious consequences that can result from impaired and reckless driving, particularly when those decisions lead to the loss of life.
