HARDY COUNTY, W.Va. — A Henrico man has been sentenced to prison for his involvement in a tragic crash that claimed the lives of three James Madison University students two years ago.
Campbell Fortune, 21, was sentenced to 90 days in prison, along with seven years of supervised probation. Initially, he could have faced up to a year behind bars.
Fortune was sentenced after he pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors: speeding and negligent homicide. At the time of the incident in 2023, he was acting as the designated driver when the deadly crash occurred.
The crash resulted in the tragic deaths of 19-year-olds John "Luke" Fergusson and Nicholas Troutman, and 20-year-old Joshua Mardis. The car they were in crashed into a tree at 95 mph in West Virginia. Sources indicate that the group was returning from a gentleman's club at the time of the crash.
Fortune intially faced charges of reckless driving, underage possession of alcohol, no proof of insurance and speeding. However, according to the victims’ families, he was offered and accepted a plea deal from a new prosecutor in February, a decision they strongly opposed at the time.
The families of the victims spoke following the sentencing. John Fergusson, father of Luke Fergusson, shared his thoughts:
“The court sentence is the first small measure of justice our families have received in West Virginia since the horrible night we lost our sons. We opposed the plea deal from the beginning, and we know nothing that happened today will end our suffering or help make sense of our terrible losses. We are grateful to the court for listening to our families, considering the evidence, and imposing a fair and thoughtful sentence.”
In addition to the sentencing, the victims' families have filed wrongful death lawsuits against the unofficial Greek organization associated with the young men. They allege that hazing and drug use contributed to the tragic wreck.
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