Dayton man sentenced to 20 years in prison for hit and run that killed man walking dogs
Lyon County District Attorney, Stephen B. Rye, announced Tuesday that the Third Judicial District Court sentenced James Parisi, 39 years of age, of Dayton, Nev., to the maximum sentence of 20 years in the Nevada State Prison with parole eligibility after seven years on one count of duty to stop at the scene of an accident causing death.
Mr. Parisi pleaded guilty on November 13, 2019. During the early morning hours of August 15, 2019, Parisi was driving up Six Mile Canyon Road, while Michael Kuntz, 59, was walking down the road with his dogs. Parisi veered left of center, crossing over the roadway, fatally striking Michael Kuntz. Parisi then fled the scene. The dogs also died in the crash.
The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office quickly initiated an investigation and located a suspect vehicle. The identity of Parisi was known shortly thereafter. The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office apprehended Parisi the same day.
The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, Detectives Division, led the investigation, with the assistance of the Nevada Department of Public Safety, Highway Patrol, Multidisciplinary Investigation & Reconstruction Team. Brian Haslem prosecuted the case for the Lyon County District Attorney.