Man sentenced to 20 years in prison for fatal DUI crash

Associated Press
Thursday, August 20, 2015 1:21pm
Local News Northwest

EUGENE, Ore. — A Junction City man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for causing a crash that killed his best friend and a pregnant woman on Highway 99 near Eugene.

The Register-Guard reports 29-year-old Jacob Harper-Leonard had smoked methamphetamine and marijuana before the fatal crash in January. He was sentenced Wednesday and had pleaded guilty to charges of manslaughter, reckless endangerment and driving under the influence of intoxicants.

Harper-Leonard had two previous intoxicated-driving convictions and had served jail time prior to the fatal wreck.

On Jan. 29, he was driving a Ford Explorer heading north when he crossed into the southbound lanes and struck the pregnant woman’s vehicle head-on, killing her and his lone passenger and best friend.

Harper-Leonard apologized for his actions in court Wednesday.

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