A British teenager, Corey Owen-Cooper, has been sentenced to five years in prison after causing the death of his best friend, Joshua Atkins, in a devastating car crash. This whole situation is absolutely tragic, especially because the fatal incident occurred just one day after Owen-Cooper, who was 17 at the time, passed his driving test and got his license.
Owen-Cooper, now 19, received his sentence on Friday, November 7, at Sheffield Crown Court in England following the November 11, 2023, collision. He pleaded guilty to causing the death of Atkins, who was also 17. According to a South Yorkshire Police news release, Owen-Cooper’s first words after the wreck were chilling: “I think I have killed him … I have killed my best friend.”
According to People, the police stated that the teenager had been “embracing his new-found freedom” after getting his license and had gone out to socialize with friends in their vehicles before the tragedy occurred. But that supposed freedom instantly turned into a nightmare. Witnesses described Owen-Cooper’s pre-crash behavior as extremely reckless and alarming.
A death he didn’t mean, but his actions caused it
He was driving a relative’s Fiat Punto around the city of Sheffield, and witnesses saw him in a nearby parking lot performing donuts and driving at high speeds. This is awful behavior; one witness even said they feared for their safety, remarking that Owen-Cooper “thinks he has nine lives.”
The actual collision happened when Owen-Cooper misjudged a bend on the road. He was traveling around 53 mph on a road clearly marked with a 20 mph speed limit. He left the carriageway, slammed into the barriers, and the car flipped onto its roof. Atkins was in the front passenger seat when the crash happened, and their friend, Gabriel Wiggett, was in the back.
Owen-Cooper was able to get out of the vehicle, but Josh and Gabriel were trapped. Other drivers passing by stopped to help, and after realizing Josh wasn’t breathing, they began performing CPR in a desperate attempt to save his life. Emergency services took both Josh and Gabriel to the hospital.
A young driver has been jailed for five years for causing the death of Josh Atkins just a day after passing his driving test.
— Radio News Hub (@radionewshub) November 7, 2025
Corey Owen Cooper said “what have I done, I’ve killed my best friend” immediately after the crash, a court heard. pic.twitter.com/4Em9KNB9Hk
Sadly, despite everyone’s best efforts, Atkins died three days later from his injuries. Gabriel Wiggett suffered serious injuries and required extensive hospital treatment to aid his recovery. The investigation by the Serious Collisions Unit was conclusive: Owen-Cooper lost control of the vehicle solely because of the excessive speed.
Police footage played in court also showed the car’s dashboard was “lit up like a Christmas tree.” The Anti-lock Braking System and brake warning lights had been on for about 90 minutes. You’d think that would be enough of a deterrent to pull over, but the outlet noted that these warning lights did not actually contribute to the collision itself.
Inspector Kieran Frain of the Serious Collisions Unit commented that while the sentencing will hopefully bring some closure to Josh’s family, it doesn’t bring Josh back. He explained that Owen-Cooper, who was just 17 at the time, didn’t set out that evening to kill anyone. However, he did so “through a lack of maturity, responsibility and an increase in risk taking.”
Josh’s aunt, Claire Chapman, spoke outside Sheffield Crown Court on behalf of the family after the sentencing. She noted that losing Josh was “utterly earth-shattering” for his family, especially his parents and sister. She also shared a powerful plea to the public, urging young drivers to understand the tremendous responsibility that comes with operating a vehicle.
The family shared a stark warning, hoping that Josh’s death and Owen-Cooper’s punishment will be a deterrent to others. They stated, “Remember that speed kills and getting behind the wheel of a car is like holding a loaded gun. We urge everyone, young and old, to drive responsibly.”
In addition to his five-year prison sentence, Owen-Cooper was also disqualified from driving for seven years and three months. He must also sit an extended retest before he can ever get behind the wheel again. It’s comforting to know that even though Josh’s life was tragically cut short, his legacy lives on; he saved four lives through organ donation. His heart went to a man in his 40s, his liver to a man in his 50s, and his kidneys to a man and woman in their 20s.
