A Phoenix man faces 15 years in state prison for a hit-and-run that killed 29-year-old Tucson resident Dillon Mares in 2024. The punishment, handed out Friday, includes four years of probation following release, and the judge credited the offender with 621 days already served in prison.
The fatal crash took place in the early hours of September 21, 2024, at 16th Street and Camelback Road. According to investigators, Mares died after a southbound pickup truck ran a red light and collided with his vehicle.
According to the Phoenix Police Department, the motorist originally fled the scene. He later contacted 911 and surrendered himself the next day; cops charged him with manslaughter and abandoning the scene.
In court, Travis Walker Smith, 24, was recognized as the driver. He pleaded guilty to reckless manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death or injury. He was sentenced to 15 years in jail, followed by four years of supervised probation, according to KOLD.
The sentencing hearing was emotional, as Mares’ family expressed that no prison sentence could compensate for their loss. “There is no justice because my son Dillon is gone,” his mother, Brittany Lockwood, told the court, according to KOLD.
Mares was raised in Tucson and attended Palo Verde before transferring to Cienega High School. Friends described him as an ardent runner and a constant presence on the field, calling him “Nightmare.”
The case is in the heart of a larger campaign by prosecutors to seek harsh prison sentences in fatal driving events.
In January, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office imposed a 12-year sentence in a separate fatal hit-and-run case in which investigators claimed speeds exceeded 110 mph. According to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, prosecutors in that case emphasized the serious dangers of high-speed, drunk driving and contended that such behavior is a willful choice rather than an unavoidable accident.
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