INDIANAPOLIS — A man who shot and killed a passenger in another car in a road rage incident will spend the next 60 years in prison.
31-year-old old Eli Hickerson was murdered as he was heading home from work in 2022.
Dion Kimbrough was convicted of murder and unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious felon after a three day trial in August.
Court documents say the incident happened in July 2022 when police received a 911 call regarding a shooting on I-70 eastbound near Post Road. The 911 caller explained he was driving a red Ford Focus when shots were fired, hitting Hickerson, who was in the passenger seat.
The driver of the Ford Focus called police when Hickerson had been struck by Kimbrough's gunfire.
The driver continued to a local hospital, where Hickerson later died.
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Kimbrough was determined to be the shooter after interviews with employees of the concrete business.
At the time of the crime, Kimbrough was on GPS monitoring. His ankle monitor placed him on I-70 near Post Road at the time of the shooting, according to court documents.
During Friday's sentencing, many of Eli's family members took the stand to share powerful and emotional victim impact statements.
"That coward shot my son in the back and claims self defense," said Danny Hickerson, Eli's father. "I had my son stolen, and Eli not being here is not only incapacitating but unbearable."
WRTV talked with Hickerson's family following the sentencing.
The family showed up in full-force, showing their strong bond by wearing black t-shirts with Eli's face on them. The back of the shirts read, "gone fishing," one of Eli's favorite activities.
"I think that the 60 years he got is never going to be enough. We are never going to be the same again,"Christina Ballard, Eli's sister, said. "He deserves to be in prison."
Kimbrough's mother and father took the stand on Friday. They said he was "not a monster" and has a son at home who misses him.
“Mr. Hickerson tragically lost his life due to an unacceptable act of road rage violence on his commute home from work,” Prosecutor Mears said. “At today’s hearing, many people who loved him described him as a loving and good friend. This sentence is a testament to law enforcement’s commitment to holding those accountable who resort to acts of violence on our roadways.”
Kimbrough is appealing his conviction and is also facing three additional years for violation of probation for conspiracy to commit robbery.
