Driver sentenced to 10 years in DUII crash that killed Sprague teacher
A Marion County judge on Thursday sentenced a 29-year-old man to 10 years in state prison for a July 2025 drunken-driving crash that killed Sprague High School science teacher Jeremy Wanak.
Circuit Judge Thomas Hart imposed the sentence on Damon K. Johnson under Oregon’s Measure 11 law, the Marion County District Attorney’s Office announced. Ten years is both the minimum and the maximum sentence available on the lead count, the office said. The case is State of Oregon v. Damon K. Johnson, Marion County Circuit Court No. 25CR38374.
Johnson was found guilty of first-degree manslaughter, second-degree manslaughter, driving under the influence of intoxicants, reckless driving, recklessly endangering another person and violating open-container laws, according to the DA’s Oct. 8 release.
The crash
Around 7:16 p.m. on July 10, 2025, Marion County sheriff’s deputies responded to Delaney Road Southeast, the DA’s office said. Johnson was driving eastbound when, entering a curve with a 25 mph advisory speed at an excessive rate of speed, he crossed the double yellow line and struck Wanak, who was riding a bicycle westbound in the correct lane of travel. Wanak, 46, died from his injuries. He was a father of two and taught science at Sprague High School in South Salem.
Deputies at the scene noticed an odor of alcohol from Johnson’s vehicle, the DA’s office said. Under a search warrant, they found three open, nearly empty beer cans, one full unopened can and marijuana. Johnson denied consuming alcohol or drugs, the office said. A warrant-authorized blood test later showed his blood-alcohol concentration at 0.098%, above Oregon’s 0.08% legal limit, and active components of recent cannabis use.
Johnson had a prior DUII conviction, a prior reckless-driving conviction and multiple traffic violations, according to the DA’s office.
Prosecutors and the defense
Deputy District Attorneys Justin Barbot-Wheaton and Sarah Meyer prosecuted the case. District Attorney Brendan Murphy said in the release: “DUIIs are entirely avoidable, which makes DUII fatalities especially tragic. I know that the victim’s death in this case impacted numerous local communities and people of all ages, and our heart goes out to them today. I hope this conviction secures some measure of closure for the victim’s family as they navigate life after facing this tragic loss.”
Salem Reporter identified Johnson’s attorney as Spencer Todd in coverage of the proceedings. As of Friday morning, Willamette News had not found a public statement from the defense after Thursday’s sentencing.
KPTV and Salem Reporter also reported the sentence on Thursday. The DA’s office thanked the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, including its Inter-Agency Crash Reconstruction Team, and the Keizer Police Department for their work on the investigation.
Sources
Marion County District Attorney’s Office, “Marion County DA’s Office Secures Accountability For Bicyclist Death,” Oct. 8, 2026 (FlashAlert)
KPTV, “Man sentenced to 10 years in prison for DUII crash that killed beloved Salem teacher,” Oct. 8, 2026
Salem Reporter (Madeleine Moore), “Man sentenced to 10 years for killing Sprague teacher in 2025 DUII crash,” Oct. 8, 2026
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