A British teenager has been sentenced to five years in prison for causing the death of his 17-year-old closest friend in a car accident less than 24 hours after passing his driving test.
Corey Owen-Cooper, 19, of Sheffield in northern England, was sentenced on Friday, November 7, at Sheffield Crown Court, following the incident over two years ago on November 11, 2023. He pleaded guilty to causing Joshua Atkins’ death, according to a South Yorkshire Police news release.
Atkins died three days after the deadly crash, which occurred after Owen-Cooper had been speeding at about 53 mph on a route with a 20 mph speed limit.
Owen-Cooper’s first words following the crash were, “I believe I killed him…” “I killed my best friend,” according to the release.
According to authorities, the teenager was “embracing his new-found freedom after passing his driving test the day before, and had gone out with his friends to [socialize] in their vehicles” before the tragedy occurred.
Officers stated that Owen-Cooper was driving a relative’s Fiat Punto throughout the city, “making stops to drop off friends and meet others” in a nearby parking lot.
Witnesses in the parking lot complained to police that Owen-Cooper was doing donuts and driving at high speeds in an alarming manner. According to the release, one witness expressed concern for their safety, saying Owen-Cooper “thinks he has nine lives.”
According to authorities, Atkins was in the front passenger seat at the time of the incident, with their friend Gabriel Wiggett in the back.
The news announcement continued: “As Owner-Cooper was driving, he misjudged a bend on the road and left the carriageway, colliding into the barriers, causing the car to flip onto its roof.”
“Owen-Cooper was able to exit the truck, but Josh and Gabriel were trapped. Other automobiles passing by stopped to offer assistance, and after determining that Josh was not breathing, they began CPR on him in an effort to save his life,” authorities said.
“Emergency services responded and transported Josh and Gabriel to the hospital. Three days later, despite everyone’s best efforts, Josh died from his injuries. “He was only 17 years old,” they stated. “Gabriel suffered serious injuries and required extensive hospital treatment to aid his recovery.”
The Serious Collisions Unit’s inquiry “concluded that Owen-Cooper lost control of the vehicle due to speed,” according to the release.
According to the BBC, police footage shown in court during the trial revealed that Owen-Cooper’s dashboard was “lit up like a Christmas tree” at the moment of the incident. The Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and brake warning lights had been illuminated for around 1.5 hours; however, despite the ABS system’s failure, it did not contribute to the crash, according to the outlet.
Kieran Frain, Inspector of the Serious Collisions Unit, stated after Owen-Cooper learnt of his fate, “While today’s sentencing will hopefully offer closure to Josh’s family and finish a two-year inquiry, it does not bring Josh back. Three families’ lives were irrevocably changed on November 11, 2023, according to a police announcement.
“Josh’s life was ripped from him, and his family will mourn his death indefinitely, but Corey Owen-Cooper’s life will also never be the same. “Corey will have to live with the consequences of his actions for the rest of his life,” he said.
“Corey was a 17-year-old boy at the time of the collision, and while he didn’t set out that evening to kill anyone but he did, through a lack of maturity, responsibility and an increase in risk taking,” according to the officer.
Owen-Cooper has been sentenced to five years in prison, disqualified from driving for seven years and three months, and ordered to do an extended retest, police stated.
Following his death, Atkins has saved four lives through organ donation, with his heart going to a guy in his 40s, his liver to a man in his 50s, and his kidneys to a man and woman in their 20s, according to the BBC.
The victim’s family is now “striving for change, and urging young drivers to be aware of the level of responsibility that comes with being a driver and on the road,” according to the announcement.
Following the punishment, Atkins’ family paid respect to the late youth in a separate police announcement issued on Saturday, Nov. 8.
His aunt, Claire Chapman, said outside court on behalf of the family, “Today marks the end of a painful chapter in our lives, but not the end of our grief, and is just the beginning of our fight for change.”
“Josh was taken from us in the most senseless way – killed by dangerous driving that should never have happened,” she told me.
The family stated, “No amount of time that Corey spends in prison will ever bring Josh back, but we hope that Josh’s death and the punishment handed down to Corey today will serve as a deterrent to others.” Remember that speed kills, and being behind the wheel of an automobile is like having a loaded pistol. We advise everyone, young and old, to drive safely.”
Chapman stated in her victim impact statement, “Josh was a tremendously popular and vibrant young man who had many, many friends,” adding, “He wasn’t shy and could talk to anyone, and his confident banter put everyone at ease. “He was cheeky, funny, friendly, and kind, with an infectious energy,” according to the announcement.
She said, “Losing Josh has been totally earth-shattering for all his family, especially his parents and sister, who will never be able to celebrate [Atkins’ dad] Gavin’s birthday again because the incident happened on that date… “We’ll never be the same.”
