A Message for Josh Neely During Sentencing in His Hit and Run Death as a Cyclist in New Washoe City
Chelsea Lloyd sent us this photo which she propped up on the witness stand while she gave her victim impact statement today, as Travis Smith was sentenced to a minimum eight years for the deadly vehicle hit and run which killed Joshua Neely while he was on his bicycle in May 2025 on Eastlake Blvd south of Reno in New Washoe City.
The Washoe County District Attorney’s Office PIO Kendall Holcomb wrote to Our Town Reno this afternoon confirming that Smith “was given an aggregate 96 to 312 months,” and that she was working on a press release.
“Hi, my name is Chelsea, Joshua and I share a daughter, Arizona, and he also always claimed Peyton as his own and helped me raise her for years,” Chelsea's statement indicated.
"The most important thing I want everyone to know about Josh is how deeply he loved the people he loved. I want people to know he was bold. Whenever he was with the people he loved, he was fearless. He would stand up to anyone without hesitation if it meant protecting those he cared about.
The day we found out Joshua was killed, I remember screaming and feeling like I was hearing someone else scream, a pain I would not wish on anyone. I can't remember much about that day or even the weeks that followed but I can remember that. I also remember when I told Arizona her dad was in heaven, she didn't cry, because she didn't understand. She cries now because the only place she can visit her dad is at a cross on the side of the road. She cries now because the reality is hitting her that he is not coming back. She calls out for him begging her dad to "come back here." My other daughter Peyton did cry when I told her, and months later, she told me that the last time she saw Josh, he told her he loved her, and she didn't say it back. She doesn't remember why, but that is a guilt my 11-year-old will carry for the rest of her life.
I really miss coparenting with Josh. I still struggle to look at pictures of Joshua because my mind hasn't fully accepted that he is gone, but I do it for Arizona, so she doesn't forget him. The saddest part of all of this is knowing that Arizona may not remember the love her dad had for her. People can tell her how much he loved her, but she is only three years old.
Joshua's absence has left a permanent hole in our lives, especially in Arizona's. She was robbed of a lifetime with a dad. She was his "little peanut," a nickname only he used, one she will probably not remember.
Leaving Josh to die alone in the road is unforgivable for me. But I choose to let you decide the punishment and to move forward with my life. I simply ask that you consider that Travis will one day be reunited with his family, while Josh can never come home, our reunion with Josh will be in heaven."
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