HARRISONBURG, Va. (WRIC) — People across the Commonwealth remain in mourning after a car crash Thursday night claimed the lives of three James Madison University sophomores and sent two, including the driver, to the hospital in critical condition.
For some in Richmond, the tragedy hit close to home in more ways than one. Two of the 19-year old men who died — Nicholas Troutman and John “Luke” Fergusson — were from Richmond. Richmond is home to many JMU alumni, including Jonathan McNamara.
“This is the type of thing that really gutted me,” McNamara said. “The JMU community is one big family. Anytime one member of the JMU community is hurting we’re all hurting.”
McNamara graduated in 2005, but still feels closely connected to the Harrisonburg school.
“I just think from my perspective what it was like to be a student,” McNamara explained. “Just hearing this type of news really rips at your heart. JMU is a special place. It’s one of those schools where everybody holds the door for each other, everybody says hello. It’s that culture, that family aspect.”
The single-car crash happened Thursday around 10:30 p.m. near the border of Virginia and West Virginia. The car veered off of Route 259 into a tree. Investigators said the road showed no sign of skid or break marks.
Current JMU students told 8News the entire campus is still emotional.
In a post on social media, the school’s chapter of the fraternity “Pi Beta Phi” released a statement, which in part read, “As many of you know, several of our friends were in a tragic accident Thursday evening.” The statement ended by urging people to “hold your friends a little closer in the coming days.”
“It motivates all of us who wear the JMU crest so proudly to look for ways to help these families,” McNamara said. “[It motivates us] to look for ways to lift them up and to just let them know that as they process this situation they’re not alone.”
The Hardy County Sheriff’s Office in West Virginia confirmed the students had been at a club earlier Thursday evening. However, at this time it has not been confirmed whether or not alcohol was a factor in the crash. This is an ongoing investigation.
