Street racer gets 36 months for 2022 incident which killed young mother
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The driver who hit and killed a young mother at a bus stop during a street racing incident nearly two years ago was sentenced to 36 months in prison on Friday.
On August 27, 2022, Portland police say 26-year-old Ashlee McGill was walking on Southeast Stark Street and Southeast 133rd Avenue when she was hit and killed by an “out-of-control” vehicle driven by 20-year-old Jonathan Peña. Peña’s Mustang also hit the vehicle of another speed racer before crashing into a tree.
A year later, Peña was indicted for second-degree manslaughter, originally pleading not guilty. However, he changed his plea when the charge was adjusted to criminally negligent homicide. Additional charges of recklessly endangering another person and reckless driving were added on Friday.
In addition to the 36 months, Peña will get three years post-release supervision, five years’ probation and must also pay restitution.
In September 2023, Kenneth Freeman, one of the other drivers involved in the crash, plead guilty to criminally negligent homicide and was sentenced to five years in prison.
All of this comes on the heels of the passage of Oregon Senate Bill 615 in 2023, which now gives the criminal justice system the ability to punish drivers involved in street racing with a maximum of one year in prison, a $6,250 fine, or both. Repeat offenders within a five-year period face a maximum of five years in prison, a $125,000 fine, or both.
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