NEED TO KNOW
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Corey Owen-Cooper has been sentenced to five years in prison after causing the death of his best friend Josh Atkins, 17, in a car crash in November 2023
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The fatal incident occurred just one day after Owen-Cooper, who was 17 at the time, had got his driver’s license
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Police said Owen-Cooper’s first words after the crash were, “I think I have killed him … I have killed my best friend,” per a news release
A British teenager has been jailed for five years after causing the death of his 17-year-old best friend in a car accident just 24 hours after passing his driving test.
Corey Owen-Cooper, 19, from the city of Sheffield in the north of England, was sentenced on Friday, Nov. 7, at Sheffield Crown Court following the crash almost two years ago on Nov. 11, 2023. He pleaded guilty to causing the death of Joshua Atkins, per a South Yorkshire Police news release.
Atkins died three days after the fatal collision, which occurred after Owen-Cooper had been traveling around 53 mph on a road with a 20 mph speed limit.
South Yorkshire Police
Joshua Atkins
Owen-Cooper’s first words after the crash were, “I think I have killed him … I have killed my best friend,” according to the release.
The teenager had been “embracing his new-found freedom after passing his driving test the day before, and had gone out with his friends to [socialize] in their vehicles” before the tragedy occurred, police stated.
Officers said that Owen-Cooper had been driving a relative’s Fiat Punto around the city, “making stops to drop off friends and meet others” in a nearby parking lot.
South Yorkshire Police
Joshua Atkins
Witnesses at the parking lot “reported to police that Owen-Cooper had been performing donuts and driving at high speeds in a manner they described as alarming. One witness expressed fearing for their safety, remarking that Owen-Cooper ‘thinks he has nine lives,’ ” per the release.
Atkins had been in the front passenger seat at the time of the crash, while their friend Gabriel Wiggett sat in the rear as they traveled, police said.
The release continued, “As Owner-Cooper was driving, he misjudged a bend on the road and left the carriageway, colliding into the barriers, causing the car to flip onto its roof.”
“Owen-Cooper was able to get out of the vehicle, but Josh and Gabriel were trapped. Other drivers passing by stopped to offer help, and after establishing that Josh was not breathing, began CPR on him in a bid to save his life,” police continued.
“Emergency services attended and took Josh and Gabriel to hospital. Sadly, three days later, despite everyone’s best efforts Josh died from his injuries. He was just 17 years old,” they added. “Gabriel suffered serious injuries and required extensive hospital treatment to aid his recovery.”
An investigation conducted by the Serious Collisions Unit “concluded that Owen-Cooper lost control of the vehicle due to speed,” the release noted.
Press Association via AP Images
Gabriel Wiggett, Joshua Atkins’ aunt, Claire Chapman, and South Yorkshire Police Inspector Kieran Frain are pictured outside Sheffield Crown Court on Nov. 7, 2025
Police footage played in court during the hearing also revealed that Owen-Cooper’s dashboard had been “lit up like a Christmas tree” at the time of the crash, the BBC reported. The Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and brake warning lights had been on for around 1.5 hours, however, despite the ABS system not being functional, it didn’t contribute to the collision, according to the outlet.
Inspector of the Serious Collisions Unit, Kieran Frain, said after Owen-Cooper learned his fate, “While today’s sentencing will hopefully bring closure to Josh’s family and end a two-year investigation, it doesn’t bring Josh back. On the 11 November 2023, three families’ lives were changed forever,” per the police release.
“Josh’s life was taken from him, and his family will continue to grieve his loss forever, but the life of Corey Owen-Cooper will also never be the same. Corey will have to live with the consequences of his actions for the rest of his life,” he added.
“Corey was a 17-year-old boy at the time of the collision, and while he didn’t set out that evening to kill anyone but he did, through a lack of maturity, responsibility and an increase in risk taking,” the officer shared.
As well as being sentenced to five years in prison, Owen-Cooper has also been disqualified from driving for seven years and three months and ordered to sit an extended retest, police confirmed.
Following his death, Atkins has since saved four lives through organ donation, with his heart going 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, according to the BBC.
The victim’s family is now “striving for change, and urging young drivers to be aware of the level of responsibility that comes with being a driver and on the road,” police said, per the release.
Atkins’ family paid tribute to the late teenager following the sentencing, per a separate police release shared on Saturday, Nov. 8.
His aunt, Claire Chapman, said outside court on behalf of the family, “Today marks the end of a painful chapter in our lives, but not the end of our grief and is just the beginning of our fight for change.”
“Josh was taken from us in the most senseless way – killed by dangerous driving that should never have happened,” she added.
The family shared, “No amount of time that Corey spends in prison will ever bring Josh back, but we hope that Josh’s death and the punishment handed down to Corey today will be a deterrent to others. 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.”
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Chapman said in her victim impact statement, “Josh was an extremely popular and vibrant young man and had many, many friends,” adding, “He wasn’t shy and could talk to anyone, and his confident chat put everyone at ease. He was cheeky, funny, friendly and kind with an infectious energy,” per the release.
She shared, “Losing Josh has been utterly earth-shattering for all his family, especially his parents and sister who will never be able to celebrate [Atkins’ dad] Gavin’s birthday again as the collision happened on that date … We will never be the same.”
South Yorkshire Police did not immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information.
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