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New Jersey resident Vasu Laroiya, age 24, of Iselin in Middlesex County, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide in Albany County Court on Tuesday, Nov. 28, in the death of Katie Fisher.
Laroiya admitted that he was Snapchatting while driving drunk at 156 miles per hour on I-87 in Colonie when he struck Fisher’s Honda Civic on the night of May 28, 2022.
Fisher, a 22-year-old junior at the University at Albany from Ballston Spa in Saratoga County, then struck a guardrail on the eastern shoulder, causing her car to catch fire, police said.
She was transported to Albany Medical Center, where she died from her injuries.
Laroiya admitted to having a prior alcohol-related conviction in New Jersey in 2019.
Sentencing is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 26, 2024.
Laroiya is expected to get between eight and 25 years in prison. He will also have his license revoked.
Meanwhile, Fisher was remembered for her "contagious laughter” in her obituary.
“She was a shining bright light, with an unbelievable smile," her memorial said. "She had such a hysterical sense of humor and her contagious laughter brought joy to everyone around her.”
Fisher graduated from Ballston Spa High School in 2018 and went on to receive her Associates Degree at SUNY Adirondack. She was looking forward to pursuing a career in teaching.
"She was on a great path and had gained so much confidence, especially in the past year,” reads her obituary. “We were all looking forward to seeing how far life would take her."
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