A commute home from a long day at work on July 18, 2022, turned tragic for 30-year-old Eli Hickerson of Carthage, Indiana. Hickerson, a male, was the passenger in a red Ford Focus traveling eastbound on Interstate 70 near Post Road in Indianapolis when he was shot and killed in what authorities have described as a road rage incident. The shooting occurred at approximately 5:15 p.m.
The driver of the car Hickerson was in told police that a white box truck had been driving erratically on
Interstate 465. As they transitioned onto I-70, the box truck followed them. The truck then pulled up alongside their vehicle, and the driver fired multiple shots, striking Hickerson at least once. In a desperate attempt to save him, the driver of the Ford Focus drove to a nearby medical facility at I-70 and Mt. Comfort Road in Hancock County, but Hickerson was pronounced deceased shortly after their arrival.
Investigators quickly identified the box truck as belonging to a concrete construction company in Indianapolis. The driver at the time of the shooting was determined to be 22-year-old Dion Kimbrough of Indianapolis. At the time of the incident, Kimbrough was wearing a GPS monitoring device on his ankle as he was supposed to be on home detention. This device placed him at the scene of the shooting. Furthermore, Kimbrough had an outstanding felony warrant for an unrelated crime and a prior conviction for conspiracy to commit armed robbery.
Dion Kimbrough was arrested the day after the shooting and charged with murder and possession of a handgun by a serious violent felon. During the investigation, police found a gun and shell casings at an Indianapolis home that Kimbrough traveled to after the shooting, which were consistent with those found at the crime scene. In August 2024, a jury found Kimbrough guilty of murder and unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon. A judge subsequently sentenced him to 60 years in prison for his role in the death of Eli Hickerson. Kimbrough's defense attorney stated an intent to appeal the conviction, claiming his client acted in self-defense.
