Driver Was Operating Vehicle at a High Rate of Speed under the Influence of Marijuana, Alcohol
A Brooklyn man was sentenced to 4-1/2 to 13-1/2 years for crashing his vehicle into another car after driving at a high rate of speed while under the influence and alcohol that resulted in the death of a nine-year-old.
On August 22, 2022, at approximately 1:49 a.m., Travis Dickson drove a 2018 BMW 540i westbound on the Long Island Expressway at 119 miles per hour while he was impaired by a combination of alcohol and marijuana. Dickson then struck the back of a 2019 Toyota Corolla, making no attempt to use the vehicle’s brakes prior to the impact. Inside the Toyota was a 9-year-old child restrained in a booster seat, and his father, the driver.
The child was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition due to the injuries sustained from the crash. The victim’s father was also taken to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. On August 24, 2022, doctors declared the child brain-dead, and he was ultimately removed from life support after
arrangements were made to donate his organs.
Following the crash, Dickson exhibited signs of intoxication and admitted to smoking marijuana. Officers later found marijuana on his person. A sample of Dickson’s blood drawn approximately three hours after the crash revealed a blood alcohol concentration of .14% and the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana. Law enforcement also determined that Dickson’s New York State driver’s license was revoked at the time he was driving the BMW.
On February 9, 2024, Dickson, 32, pleaded guilty to the following charges before Acting Supreme Court Judge Richard I. Horowitz:
- second-degree manslaughter, a Class C felony
- second-degree vehicular manslaughter, a Class D felony
- second-degree assault, a Class D felony
- third-degree assault, a Class A misdemeanor
- DWI and driving while impaired by the combined influence of alcohol and a drug, an unclassified misdemeanor reckless driving, an unclassified misdemeanor
- third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, an unclassified misdemeanor
On April 5, 2024, Horowitz sentenced Dickson to four-and-a-half to 13-1/2 years in prison. The People recommended that Dickson be sentenced to 5 to 15 years in prison, the maximum sentence allowed under the law.
“As this case clearly illustrates, drunk and drug-impaired drivers are a danger to our communities and, oftentimes, cause collisions which turn fatal for innocent victims,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. “A child lost their life because of the selfish actions of the defendant. I hope that this prison sentence brings some small degree of solace to the victim’s family who are undoubtedly still grieving his loss.”