A Phoenix man is headed to state prison for 15 years for a hit-and-run crash that killed 29-year-old Tucson native Dillon Mares in 2024. The sentence, handed down Friday, also includes four years of probation after release, and the judge credited the defendant with 621 days already served behind bars.
Crash and arrest timeline
The deadly collision unfolded in the early hours of Sept. 21, 2024, near 16th Street and Camelback Road. Investigators say a southbound pickup truck ran a red light and slammed into Mares’ vehicle, leaving him with fatal injuries.
According to the Phoenix Police Department, the driver initially took off from the scene. He later called 911 and turned himself in the next day, and detectives booked him on manslaughter and leaving-the-scene charges.
Guilty plea and sentence
In court, the driver was identified as 24-year-old Travis Walker Smith. He pleaded guilty to reckless manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident with death or injury. For that, he received a 15-year prison term followed by four years of supervised probation, as reported by KOLD.
Family remembers Mares
The sentencing hearing was emotional, with Mares’ family making it clear that no prison term could balance their loss.
“There really is no justice because my son Dillon is gone,” his mother, Brittany Lockwood, told the court, according to KOLD…