A La Grande man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for his involvement in an April crash that killed a 23-year-old man.

Brandon Carew Halleck, 28, was sentenced Thursday to 189 months in the custody of the Oregon Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to first-degree manslaughter, third-degree assault, aggravated driving while suspended and driving under the influence of intoxicants.

The charges stem from a single-vehicle crash on April 18 on Monroe Lane just off Hunter Road. Halleck was driving a 1994 Nissan pickup with Jacob Yeates, 23, and two minor children riding unrestrained in the open bed of the pickup. A third minor child was restrained in the passenger seat.

Halleck lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the ditch, at which point all three occupants of the open pickup bed were ejected. Yeates died at the scene, and one of the minor victims was Life Flighted out of the area for treatment.

The other two juveniles sustained minor injuries or were unharmed.

Halleck had a blood alcohol content of .14 percent, according to the Union County District Attorney’s Office.

Circuit Court Judge Brian Dretke sentenced Halleck to 120 months on the manslaughter charge, a Measure 11 sentence that means Halleck is not eligible for good time or early release. The assault charge came with a 30-month sentence, driving while suspended 36 months and DUII 90 days in the Union County Jail. Halleck will have three years of post-prison supervision.

According to the DA’s office, the sentence was pursuant to a settlement conference with Dretke. Yeates’ family participated in the conference and negotiations.

DA Kelsie McDaniel said she is thankful for the assistance of the Union County Sheriff’s Office, the Union County Medical Examiner program and the Oregon State Police “for their outstanding work in investigating this case in a collaborative manner.”

She noted especially the investigative work at the scene of the crime.

“Particularly impressive was the work done for the collision reconstruction by (OSP) Trooper Robbie Routt,”