The Register-Guard reported Monday that University senior Patrick Compton was sentenced to nearly three years in jail. Compton plead guilty to charges of criminally negligent homicide and driving under the influence of intoxicants 2 in an accident that caused the death of fellow University senior Craig Macfie last November.
According to Patty Perlow, chief deputy district attorney, Compton was sentenced to 34 months in prison, 36 months post-prison supervision and a lifetime drivers license revocation. He also will serve a concurrent six-month sentence for the DUII 2.
Compton had been driving down East 11th Avenue near High Street when his car hit cyclist Craig Macfie around 2:30 a.m. on Nov. 18. Both Compton and Macfie had blood alcohol levels well above the legal driving limit.
Macfie suffered head injuries that resulted in his death a day later. Compton has been between court dates in Eugene and his hometown of Beaverton while the investigation was concluded.
“It was really clear-cut (who was at fault),” Lieutenant Doug Mozan of the Eugene Police Department said. “The state was prepared to go to trial, and the judge accepted the plea of a lesser charge. Compton had a total lack of criminal history.”
“This would be a good outcome, as good as one could be,” Mozan said. Although Mozan did not work on the case himself, he supervises the major collision unit that investigated the crash.
“This was just a major tragedy and just a reminder that people need to get a designated driver and they need to drink in moderation if they’re going to be driving.”