Ethan Maier, 25, of Tulsa was sentenced to 25 years, with 10 to serve in prison, for a Thanksgiving 2024 crash in Broken Arrow that killed a 54-year-old passenger.

Maier pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter under a plea deal with prosecutors, KTUL reported. Of the 25-year sentence, 15 years are suspended under Department of Corrections supervision. He was also ordered to pay a $500 fine and a $250 victim's compensation assessment.

The crash happened at the intersection of South Elm Place and West Washington Street in Broken Arrow on Thanksgiving 2024. According to an affidavit, Maier was driving a pickup truck eastbound on Washington Street when he ran a red light and struck a car traveling southbound on Elm Place that had a green light. A family of four was inside.

A witness told police Maier did not stop for the red light.

Michael Hill, 54, was riding in the front passenger seat. He sustained multiple skull fractures and a brain bleed and was pronounced dead on Dec. 4, 2024. The driver, Mariza Hill, and two children in the vehicle suffered minor injuries, according to News On 6.

Police noted in the affidavit that Maier appeared lethargic with slurred speech and smelled of alcohol. Officers said they witnessed Maier tell emergency medical workers he had been drinking that night.

Surveillance video showed Maier leaving a bar while visibly intoxicated before stopping at a gas station, where he bought more beer shortly before the crash, police said. He later tested positive for alcohol at a hospital.

Maier had been charged with first-degree manslaughter and DUI causing a personal-injury accident. He reached a plea deal with prosecutors, the Tulsa World reported. He will receive credit for time already served in jail.

The Tulsa County Sheriff's Office reported in December 2025 that 163 people had been killed in DUI-related crashes across Tulsa County over the prior three years.

Residents can report impaired drivers by calling 911.