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Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
Travis Dickson, 32, of Brooklyn, was sentenced Friday to 4.5 to 13.5 years in prison for a fatal high-speed crash on the Long Island Expressway that killed a 9-year-old child in August 2022, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney announced. Prosecutors had sought the maximum sentence of 5 to 15 years allowed under the law.
The collision occurred on August 22, 2022, at approximately 1:49 a.m. when Dickson was driving a 2018 BMW 540i westbound on the Long Island Expressway at 119 mph while drunk and high on marijuana, according to prosecutors. Dickson crashed into the back of a 2019 Toyota Corolla carrying a 9-year-old child, who was restrained in a booster seat, and the child’s father, who was driving the vehicle.
Both victims were transported to Stony Brook University Hospital, where the child was listed in critical condition and the father was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Two days after the crash, doctors declared the child brain-dead, and the child was subsequently removed from life support after arrangements were made to donate organs.
Blood drawn from Dickson approximately three hours after the crash showed an alcohol concentration of .14% — almost twice the legal limit — and the presence of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, prosecutors say. Dickson exhibited signs of intoxication after the crash and admitted to smoking marijuana. His New York State driver’s license was revoked at the time he was driving the BMW.
Dickson pleaded guilty in February to multiple charges including manslaughter in the second degree, vehicular manslaughter in the second degree, assault in the second degree, assault in the third degree, driving while intoxicated and driving while impaired by the combined influence of alcohol and a drug, reckless driving, and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.
“As this case clearly illustrates, drunk and drug-impaired drivers are a danger to our communities and often times cause collisions which turn fatal for innocent victims,” District Attorney Tierney said. “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.”
The child’s mother spoke publicly in 2022 about the devastating loss. By the time she arrived at Stony Brook Hospital, the child was already on life support. “I was just sitting in a room with my son. Well, he’s hooked up to a machine and people are just keeping his body alive, but he’s no longer there,” she said. Doctors kept the child alive for several days to collect organs to help other children. “An innocent child’s life was taken because someone just made really, really foolish decisions,” she said.
Location & Road Context
The fatal crash occurred on the westbound Long Island Expressway, one of the region’s busiest highways connecting New York City to Long Island’s eastern communities. The LIE has recorded 126 incidents in traffic databases, with recent reports including various roadwork and construction activities along the corridor.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
The case proceeded through Suffolk County courts with Dickson entering his guilty plea in February 2024 to the extensive list of charges. The sentencing on Friday represented the culmination of the legal proceedings, though the prison term fell short of prosecutors’ request for the maximum allowable sentence under New York State law for the charges.