SALEM, Ore. — A 34-year-old man has been sentenced to 16 years in prison following convictions stemming from two separate incidents involving minors, including a deadly crash in 2025.
On April 17, 2026, Marion County Circuit Court Judge Tracy Prall sentenced Christopher Atkinson to 192 months in the Oregon Department of Corrections. Atkinson previously pleaded guilty to Manslaughter in the First Degree, Sexual Abuse in the Second Degree, Assault in the Third Degree, two counts of Assault in the Fourth Degree, and Driving Under the Influence.
The charges arise from incidents that occurred in March 2025.
According to prosecutors, on March 10, 2025, Atkinson rented a hotel room for himself and three juveniles. During that time, he provided alcohol—specifically BuzzBallz “Biggies”—to the minors. Authorities said Atkinson engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with a 16-year-old girl who was under the influence of alcohol.
Later that month, on March 23, Atkinson was driving a white Mercedes sedan with four juvenile passengers, ranging in age from 12 to 16, including the same victim. While traveling eastbound on Fern Ridge Road SE at high speeds, he lost control of the vehicle. The car left the roadway, overturned, and ejected a 16-year-old passenger from the back seat, resulting in her death.
A 12-year-old passenger suffered severe injuries, was initially treated at Salem Hospital, and was later airlifted to Oregon Health & Science University for further care.
Investigators said Atkinson initially attempted to leave the scene on foot but later returned.
During the investigation, Atkinson admitted he had been driving around with the juveniles for several hours while they consumed alcohol and used substances. He acknowledged providing alcohol, nicotine, and marijuana to the minors and driving at speeds approaching 100 miles per hour. A bong, commonly used to smoke marijuana, was recovered from the vehicle.
“This was a heartbreaking and entirely preventable tragedy,” said Chief Deputy District Attorney Brendan Murphy. “The defendant’s decisions resulted in the loss of a young life, and our office will continue to hold offenders accountable for devastating choices like this.”
Deputy District Attorney Shannon Sullivan prosecuted the case on behalf of the state.
The Marion County District Attorney’s Office also credited several community partners for their assistance in the investigation, including Liberty House, the Salem Police Department, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
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