Man convicted of killing Topeka teacher in crash sentenced to one year in jail

TOPEKA (KSNT) – A Shawnee County judge sentenced an Auburn man Friday to one year in jail for the crash death of a Topeka teacher more than two years ago.

Todd W. Armstrong, 55, was sentenced after being convicted of misdemeanor vehicular homicide in connection with the 2024 crash that killed Ashleigh Boyd, 24, in 2024. Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay confirmed the sentence to 27 News.

According to Kagay, the 12-month sentence is the maximum penalty allowed under Kansas law for a vehicular homicide conviction. Armstrong was also ordered to pay $326 in fines and fees.

Law enforcement responded to reports of a crash shortly before 7:45 a.m. on April 11, 2024, in the 7800 block of Southwest 53rd Street. Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office deputies found a 2007 Nissan Versa and a 2018 Ford F-150 involved in a head-on collision.

Boyd, who was driving the Nissan, died at the scene. Boyd’s one-year-old daughter, Eleanor Manzano-Aguilar, who was also in her vehicle, was hospitalized.

After Boyd’s death, her husband, Adan Manzano, continued raising their daughter. In a separate and unrelated incident in 2025, Manzano, a television sports reporter for Telemundo Kansas City, died while covering the Super Bowl in New Orleans. Their daughter subsequently lost both parents within less than a year.

Following the crash, Armstrong told law enforcement that a mechanical problem or a blown tire may have contributed to the crash. Court documents previously obtained by 27 News state investigators found no obvious mechanical defects during a search of Armstrong’s truck.

Authorities arrested Armstrong in March 2025, nearly a year after the crash. Following a bench trial in September 2026, a Shawnee County judge found him guilty of vehicular homicide.

Court records filed ahead of sentencing included letters from family members, friends and medical professionals describing Armstrong’s lack of prior criminal history, ongoing medical issues and expressions of remorse following the crash.

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