A former Las Vegas corrections officer who pleaded guilty to reckless driving in a crash that killed a pedestrian was sentenced Monday to 364 days in jail along with probation and a lengthy suspended prison sentence.
District Court Judge Colleen Brown imposed the sentence on Maurice Washington following a plea deal in which DUI charges were dismissed.
“The fact of the matter is you did drink, you did drive and a person died due to your actions, and there are consequences for that,” Brown said.
The Metropolitan Police Department said Washington was driving a Mercedes-Benz north on Decatur Boulevard near Alta Drive around 3:30 a.m. on May 11, 2025, when he hit and killed 58-year-old Elijah Givens. Givens was crossing Decatur in a marked crosswalk against a pedestrian signal while Washington had a green light.
Givens’ brother, Darrell, said Elijah Givens was a good, caring man and veteran who served on the USS Cayuga while in the U.S. Navy. Loved ones told Brown Monday that Elijah Givens’ death has been devastating for his family. They asked Brown to send Washington to prison, with Michelle Boose saying her brother’s death was “a crime that was completely avoidable.”
“He was a father, a devoted military veteran, a man full of kindness, laughter and unwavering spirit,” Boose said, adding her brother’s death has left her “in a relentless cycle of grief.”
Police said Washington fled the scene after the crash but returned some 45 minutes later with his mother. Washington arrived at the scene at about 4:15 a.m. and told officers he had been drinking earlier at a hookah lounge and initially did not report the crash “because he was scared,” police said.
Washington told police he didn’t realize what he hit, but that his car was “undrivable,” and pulled over into a parking lot in the 4700 block of Meadows Lane, police said. Washington failed a field sobriety test, police said. Officers reported a strong odor of alcohol coming from Washington’s breath and said he was slurring his speech.
He apologized in court Monday to Givens’ family.
“Nothing I can say can change what happened or lessen the pain his family has endured,” Washington said.
“I will carry the sadness and remorse with me for the rest of my life,” Washington said. “I wish with all my heart the tragedy had never happened.”
Washington entered into a plea agreement in which he admitted to two counts of reckless driving causing death. He was out of custody on a $250,000 bail prior to the sentencing.
Washington’s defense attorney, Josh Tomsheck, disputed an initial police account that Washington was speeding, saying there was no evidence of this. Washington’s friends and family wrote multiple letters of support on behalf of Washington, and several were in court for his sentencing.
“This is an individual who is very loved and supported,” Tomsheck said.
Tomsheck asked the judge to impose a sentence of probation. He said while Washington was impaired at the time of the crash, his client’s impairment did not cause the tragedy.
“The decedent walked across two lanes of traffic and walked into the oncoming traffic in the direction Mr. Washington was traveling,” Tomsheck said.
Brown was given a sentence of 56 to 144 months in prison. The prison sentence was suspended, and he was placed on probation for three years with 364 days to be served in the county detention center.
Contact Glenn Puit at gpuit@reviewjournal.com.
