FORT WORTH, Texas - A Tarrant County jury has sentenced an Arlington man to prison after finding him guilty in a drunken driving crash that killed a 2-year-old girl and seriously injured three members of her family.
On Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, a jury in the 485th District Court found 29-year-old Tyler Hampton guilty of one count of manslaughter and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Jurors sentenced Hampton to 15 years in prison for the manslaughter conviction and five years in prison for each aggravated assault conviction.
The charges stem from a Dec. 21, 2021, crash on Interstate 20 near Highway 360 in Arlington.
According to prosecutors, Hampton was driving approximately 100 mph when his vehicle slammed into a pickup truck carrying a family.
The impact forced the truck off the roadway, where it struck a guardrail before overturning into a highway sign support.
The crash critically injured four members of the family.
Two-year-old Mi'lania Skye Pierite suffered catastrophic blunt force injuries and was airlifted to a hospital. She died two days later.
Her mother suffered a concussion, a partially collapsed lung, broken ribs and multiple lacerations requiring stitches.
A 4-year-old child sustained minor injuries and survived.
The girl's father suffered severe injuries, including a collapsed lung, multiple broken ribs, significant nerve damage and a badly broken leg that required surgery.
Investigators determined Hampton was intoxicated at the time of the crash.
According to police, Hampton admitted he had consumed three beers and two shots of whiskey at Rusty's Pool Hall before going to his manager's house, where he smoked marijuana.
The Arlington Police Department investigated the fatal crash.
During the sentencing hearing, Mi'lania's father described the devastating impact of losing his daughter.
"She loved to sing, act, and dance. She loved basketball and soccer. And she loved Jesus," he told the court.
"It's completely unnatural for a child to die before their parents," he said. "Tyler Hampton stole our entire life and gave us a life sentence of trauma."
Assistant District Attorneys Madeline Jones and Elizabeth Haratsis prosecuted the case. District Attorney Investigator Michael McGuire assisted with the investigation, and Victim Coordinator Candace Burnett worked with the victim's family throughout the prosecution.
