A 62-year-old man was sentenced to ten years in prison after prosecutors claimed he drove drunk and ran over a woman sitting on a Northeast Portland road in 2024, then fled the scene.
Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Eric Dahlin sentenced Richard Epton on June 22, 2026.
On June 9, this year, a Multnomah County jury convicted Epton of first-degree homicide, failing to execute driver duties to injured victims, and DUII.
The convictions come from the death of Victoria Jacob-Springer, 28, who was seated in the center of the road near the 8500 block of Northeast Fremont Street around 2:15 a.m. on September 18, 2024.
Prosecutors said Epton was communicating with his wife on the night of September 17, 2024, when he arrived at the Korner Pocket Bar at 73rd and Sandy around midnight. He was caught on video drinking alcohol at the bar until about 1:45 a.m. on September 18, according to the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office.
According to prosecutors, Epton was driving home in a Ford F-250 pickup at 2:15 a.m. when he struck Jacob-Springer near the junction of Northeast 85th Avenue and Northeast Fremont Street. According to investigators, he paused the truck for around ten seconds before driving away.
Police located the truck and contacted Epton after detectives released a photo gathered from video security cameras at a neighboring store, according to the district attorney’s office. Prosecutors said video surveillance showed Epton applying the brakes around 27 to 30 feet before contact.
During an interview, prosecutors stated that Epton denied hitting anyone or stopping his truck. During a search, human tissue was discovered on the vehicle’s underside, according to the district attorney. The material was swabbed and examined, and prosecutors stated that the results provided “very strong support to conclude the victim’s DNA was present on the defendant’s vehicle.”
According to the district attorney’s office, this is Epton’s fourth DUII case.
Deputy District Attorney Andrew Wood prosecuted the case.
Following his conviction, Wood stated, “This was a tragedy for all parties involved. “I hope the outcome brings some justice to Ms. Jacob-Springer’s family and emphasizes the hazards of driving while intoxicated.”
The district attorney’s office congratulated the Portland Police Bureau and the Gresham Police Department for their investigations and praised MCDA Victim Advocate Kelly Eoff for “their compassion and care for the victims in the case.”
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