Campbell Fortune, the driver involved in a 2023 crash that killed three James Madison University students—John “Luke” Fergusson, Joshua Mardis, and Nicholas Troutman—was sentenced Tuesday in Hardy Circuit Court.
Fortune, who is from Henrico County, VA, had previously pleaded no contest and was convicted of two misdemeanors: one count of negligent homicide and one count of speeding. He received a 90-day jail sentence and seven years of supervised probation, with six months of the jail time suspended. If he violates probation, he faces another 90 days behind bars.
Initially, Fortune faced several charges including three counts of negligent homicide, underage alcohol possession, reckless driving, driving without insurance, and speeding. All but the single negligent homicide and speeding charges were dropped.
The families of the victims issued a statement after the sentencing, expressing that while the court's decision brought some justice, it could never ease their grief. John Fergusson, Luke's father, said the sentence marked the first small step toward justice, though the families had opposed the plea deal from the start.
Loved ones of the victims filled the courtroom for the sentencing. In addition, the Fergusson, Mardis, and Troutman families have filed wrongful death lawsuits against the unrecognized JMU fraternity Pi Beta Chi (PBX), citing hazing and drug use as contributing factors in the deadly crash. All four students involved were associated with PBX.
SOURCE: WHSV3
John “Luke” Fergusson, Joshua Mardis and Nicholas Troutman