Arizona man gets 16 years in prison for causing deadly crash while driving drunk

PHOENIX – An Arizona man was sentenced Monday to 16 years in prison for causing a deadly crash while driving drunk, authorities announced.

Dillon Shifflett, 32, will undergo seven years of supervised probation after his release, according to a Pinal County Attorney’s Office press release.

Shifflett previously pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter for the June 2023 deadly crash in San Tan Valley.

A 65-year-old man and his 23-year-old son were killed in the high-speed collision near Gary Road and Hunt Highway.

“We will never feel whole again,” a family member of the victims told the court, according to the release. “I am in disbelief that this is my life and my reality.”

What happened in deadly crash involving drunk driver?

The victims were making a left turn while driving to the gym when Shifflett’s pickup truck slammed into their minivan, prosecutors said.

Shifflett was driving about 90 mph in a 35 mph zone at the time, according to the release. He also had a blood alcohol content of 0.116, well above the legal limit of 0.08.

In addition, he had THC in his system, prosecutors said. THC is the compound in marijuana that gets the user high.

“This is yet another example of the tragic consequences that occur when choosing to drive impaired,” Pinal County Attorney Kent Volkmer said in the release. “My sincerest thoughts and prayers are with the victims’ family, and I hope they can begin the healing process.”

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