Central Islip, NY – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced the guilty plea of Travis Dickson, 32, of Brooklyn, for causing a fatal crash on the Long Island Expressway that resulted in the death of a 9-year-old boy.
Dickson admitted to driving under the influence of alcohol and marijuana at speeds reaching 119 mph when he collided with another vehicle.
The incident occurred on August 22, 2022, around 1:49 AM, when Dickson, operating a 2018 BMW 540i, struck a 2019 Toyota Corolla from behind without attempting to brake.
A child in a booster seat and his father, who was driving the Toyota, were the occupants at the time of impact. The child was critically injured and transported to Stony Brook University Hospital, where he was later declared braindead on August 24, 2022. The father sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The child’s organs were donated following his removal from life support.
Evidence of intoxication was apparent in Dickson following the crash, including his admission of marijuana use and the discovery of marijuana on his person.
Blood tests conducted three hours post-accident showed a blood alcohol concentration of .14% and the presence of THC. It was also revealed that Dickson’s New York State driver’s license had been revoked at the time of the crash.
On February 9, 2024, Dickson pleaded guilty before Acting Supreme Court Justice Richard Horowitz to multiple charges, including Manslaughter in the Second Degree and Vehicular Manslaughter in the Second Degree.
He also admitted to Assault in the Second and Third Degrees, Driving While Intoxicated and Impaired by Drugs, Reckless Driving, and Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle. Dickson is facing a sentencing range of four and a half to 13 and a half years in prison.