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 9-year-old Angel Salas 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 9-year-old Angel Salas, who was restrained in a booster seat, and his father, who was driving the vehicle.
Both victims were transported to Stony Brook University Hospital, where Angel was listed in critical condition and his father was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Two days after the crash, doctors declared Angel brain-dead, and he was subsequently removed from life support after arrangements were made to donate his 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 His New York State driver’s license was revoked at the time he was driving the BMW.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.”
Angel’s mother, Juliana Salas, spoke to NBC New York in 2022 about her devastating loss. By the time she arrived at Stony Brook Hospital, Angel 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 her son alive for several days to collect his organs to help other children. “An innocent child’s life was taken because someone just made really, really foolish decisions,” Salas 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.
Broader Impact
The case highlights the severe penalties under New York’s vehicular homicide statutes, where impaired drivers causing fatalities face potential sentences exceeding a decade in prison, particularly when combined with aggravating factors like extreme speeding and driving with a revoked license.