An 18-year-old from an affluent Oregon family has pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide after a crash that killed a 17-year-old girl during a night of underage drinking.
Ayden Heard admitted to causing the death of Ava Crews after flipping a utility vehicle on Sauvie Island, just outside Portland, on May 18. Prosecutors say Heard had been drinking alcohol at a $1.8 million property before taking the wheel.
He was originally charged with manslaughter and DUI, pleading not guilty at first and posting $50,000 bail. But on October 8, Heard accepted a plea deal that reduced the manslaughter charge to negligent homicide and dropped the DUI charge. He was sentenced to five years of probation, 400 hours of community service, and had his driver’s license permanently revoked.
The crash sparked outrage in the tight-knit community. Many residents demanded accountability from Branda Jurasek, a Scappoose High School board member who owns the property where the underage drinking allegedly took place. An anonymous letter from parents claimed parties at the home were known to involve teens drinking and driving dangerous vehicles, and accused Jurasek and her husband of negligence.
In the letter, parents called for “accountability, transparency, and justice for Ava Crews,” urging the district attorney to pursue charges. They also criticized what they saw as a double standard, noting that Heard faced criminal charges while Jurasek did not.
Jurasek resigned from her school board position in August. She and her husband denied providing alcohol to minors, stating, “We do not condone underage drinking, and we have never allowed it in our home.” They have not been charged.
Ava Crews was remembered by friends as “kind and beautiful inside and out.” Her Instagram showed moments from prom, beach trips with family, and time with friends.
At a court hearing, her mother, Brooke Crews, delivered an emotional statement asking the judge not to impose a harsh sentence on Heard. “Our hearts are broken for our daughter, and our hearts are also broken for Ayden and his family,” she said, adding that her daughter wouldn’t have wanted his life to be destroyed.
Heard’s attorney, Mark Cogan, said his client was devastated by the accident. “They were friends,” he told Oregon Live. “She was a very dear person to Ayden and his family, and they’re deeply sorrowful about what happened.”
Why, why, why do these people get ‘PLEA’ deals? I’m sick and tired of plea deal after plea deal after plea deal. When will people become accountable for their actions?
Oregon??
I predict some serious “time out” for this spoiled little turd. But only if he gets a really, really, really…….
REALLY mean judge!!!!
(And not a female judge!!! A female judge will think he’s young, handsome, cute….. whatever.)