HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — An Ohio man pleaded guilty Tuesday to a pair of criminal counts connected to a July alcohol-related crash in Barboursville that claimed the life of a Cabell County teenager.
Joshua Wilson, 23, of Middleport, Ohio, admitted he was driving dunk at around 9 p.m. on July 4 when he drove through a red light at the intersection of U.S. Route 60 and Davis Creek Road and hit a car being driven by Braxton McComas, 17, of Huntington.
McComas, just more than a month from beginning his senior year at Cabell Midland High School, was killed and a teenage passenger in his car seriously injured.
Tuesday’s guilty pleas to the original charges of DUI with death and DUI causing serious bodily injury in Cabell County Circuit Court come less than four months following the wreck. Cabell County Prosecutor Jason Spears said that was a priority.
“The other side knew the position we had, what we expected and what we would agree to and that led to a quick completion,” Spears told MetroNews after the plea hearing. “If anything positive can come out of this it was quick for the families to start the healing process.”
The prosecutor also praised the investigative work by the Barboursville Police Department.
Spears said he’s learned a lot about McComas in the months after his death.
“It’s so sad and tragic that we’ll never be able to see what Braxton could have become,” he said. “He could have been the next great physician, the next president, we don’t know, all because of decisions that were made.”
DUI with death carries a sentence of 3 to 15 years in prison while DUI causing bodily injury is 2 to 10.
Spears said his office will stand silent at sentencing. As part of the plea bargain agreement. the families will address Cabell County Circuit Judge Sean “Corky” Hammers at sentencing.
“The victims’ families, which I think this is the important part ot them, will speak to the judge on their feelings on sentencing. We decided to leave the sentencing to the court. I think when the court hears everything about how these families were impacted they’ll make a wise decision,” Spears said.
Sentencing is set for December. Wilson remains in the Western Regional Jail.