The driver who struck and killed a Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office deputy on the Katy Freeway in February will spend 12 years in prison.

Dennis Arguella-Acosta, 22, accepted a plea deal and was sentenced after pleading guilty to failure to stop and render aid involving death, ABC13 reported. KHOU reported he also pleaded guilty to tampering with physical evidence.

The crash happened around 3:40 a.m. on Feb. 21 on Interstate 10 near Eldridge Parkway. Deputy Kenneth Lewis, 51, was driving home from extra duty when he pulled over to help at the scene, according to police. He was in his work uniform at the time.

Sources gave slightly different accounts of the scene. ABC13 described Lewis stopping for a stranded driver. Fox News reported he had stopped to assist drivers in a separate two-vehicle crash and was struck by a third vehicle.

Police said Arguella-Acosta hit Lewis with a dark-colored sedan and fled. Lewis was taken to a hospital, where he died two days later, officials said.

Investigators said Arguella-Acosta later had several parts of his car replaced at an auto body shop, according to KHOU. He was arrested in March after an anonymous tip led Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), working with the FBI, to identify him and his residence, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said. Authorities found Lewis' handcuffs on Arguella-Acosta at the time of his arrest, KHOU reported.

Fort Bend County Sheriff Eric Fagan said at the time of the arrest that Lewis had gone above and beyond. "He took it upon himself to go back on duty to try to help that individual," Fagan said, according to Fox News.

Lewis had served with the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office since 2015. He previously worked for the Missouri City Police Department, where he once jumped 30 feet off a bridge to avoid being hit by a vehicle while working an accident scene, Fox News reported.

The I-10 corridor near Eldridge Parkway sits just east of the Katy area and is one of the most heavily traveled stretches of freeway for local commuters. Residents who want to report tips about unsolved cases can contact the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office or call Crime Stoppers at 281-342-TIPS.