A Clackamas County judge sentenced 27-year-old Austin Richard Jones to 100 months in prison on Monday for a red-light crash that killed 82-year-old Margaret Brown, whom family and friends called “Margi.” Jones was driving roughly 50 mph when he blew through a red light at SE Milport Road and slammed into the car carrying Margaret and her husband, Donald Wesley Brown, on August 31, 2025.
Jones was behind the wheel of a 2013 Chrysler 200 LX when he ran the light and struck a 2011 Infiniti EX3 driven southbound by Donald Wesley Brown on SE McLoughlin Boulevard, according to Clackamas County. The collision happened at the intersection of SE Milport Road and SE McLoughlin Boulevard. Margaret and Donald Brown, along with Jones and his 29-year-old passenger, Makayla Jean Keegan, were all taken to Oregon Health and Science University Hospital, where Margaret later died from her injuries, according to KOIN. Donald Brown, 91, and Keegan were also injured, as was Jones himself.
A Marriage of Six Decades, Cut Short
Donald Brown told the court his wife of more than 60 years was “the sunshine of my life,” adding, “For over 60 years of marriage, she was the ultimate demonstration of God's blessing to me,” per KOIN's reporting. Judge Cody Weston imposed the 100-month sentence on Monday following what county officials described as emotional victim impact statements from Brown and his family. Brown testified that his grief has kept him from returning to the home he and Margaret shared for decades, the county's account notes.
Jones pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide, recklessly endangering another person, reckless driving, two counts of third-degree assault, and driving under the influence of intoxicants, according to KOIN.
Jones's Sentence
Jones received a 100-month prison sentence.
Jones's record before the crash included more than the Washington County case. Multnomah County Circuit Court charged him with unlawful use of a vehicle, possession of a stolen vehicle, and possession of methamphetamine in May 2025, a case that remains pending, according to KOIN. He was also convicted of unlawful use of a vehicle in Washington County in 2023 and sentenced to 13 months in prison plus a year of post-prison supervision.
A Federal Lawsuit Filed From Jail
A case titled Jones v. Clackamas Co. Jail et al. is listed on Justia.
In January 2024, more than $3.6 million in federal Safe Streets and Roads for All funding was going to the City of Salem and Umatilla and Clackamas counties to support road-safety plans, per OPB's reporting.
