On Monday, June 22, a Multnomah County judge sentenced 62-year-old Richard Epton to 10 years in prison after a jury found he ran over and killed a woman who was sitting in a Northeast Portland roadway in 2024. The victim, 28-year-old Victoria Jacob‑Springer, was struck near the 8500 block of Northeast Fremont Street in the early morning hours of Sept. 18, 2024.
Sentence and conviction
Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Eric Dahlin handed down the 10-year term after a jury convicted Epton on June 9 of first‑degree manslaughter, failure to perform the duties of a driver to injured persons and DUII, according to KATU. Deputy District Attorney Andrew Wood prosecuted the case.
Victim and timeline
The Portland Police Bureau identified the victim as Victoria Deliccuia Jacob‑Springer and said officers found her at the scene early on Sept. 18, 2024, according to a news update from the bureau. After a grand jury returned an indictment in November 2024, reporting shows Epton turned himself in, per KPTV.
What prosecutors said
Prosecutors told jurors that Epton had been drinking at the Korner Pocket Bar until about 1:45 a.m., then drove home in a Ford F‑250 and struck Jacob‑Springer near Northeast 85th Avenue and Northeast Fremont Street around 2:15 a.m., stopping for roughly 10 seconds before leaving the scene, according to KATU. Investigators said they found human tissue on the underside of the truck and that DNA testing gave “very strong support” that the victim’s DNA was present on the vehicle. Prosecutors also noted the Multnomah County record showed this was Epton’s fourth DUII matter.
Community reaction and next steps
Jacob‑Springer’s death prompted local coverage and community pleas for witnesses in the weeks after the crash. A November 2024 piece highlighted the early response and mourning. With the sentence entered, Epton will serve his term in state custody and any post‑conviction filings will appear in Multnomah County court records.
Legal notes
Epton was convicted on multiple counts and received a decade behind bars on June 22, 2026. Officials said investigators from Portland and Gresham assisted in the probe, and the case remains part of the public court record should the defense pursue appeals or other post‑trial motions.
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