FORT WORTH, Texas – The Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday, February 18, 2026, that 34-year-old Nathan Lawrence Vaughan pleaded guilty to manslaughter and collision involving death and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The charges stem from a late-night hit-and-run crash in Arlington on December 15, 2024, along East Lamar Boulevard. According to investigators, Vaughan was driving a silver Chevy Malibu when he sped through an intersection, veered off the roadway and onto a sidewalk, striking and killing two pedestrians.
The victims were identified as 23-year-old Kiara Nichole Valdez of Dallas and 22-year-old Jahlil Royale Kirkland. The couple had been staying at a nearby hotel and were walking to get food around 11:30 p.m. when they were hit. Authorities said they were in a dating relationship.
After the crash, Vaughan drove away without stopping to render aid or call for help…