Lengthy prison term for LaFerriere in deadly crash

By Linda Cicoira

No matter how much an Accomack Circuit Court defendant apologized, asked for forgiveness, and promised to do better, he could not persuade a judge Thursday that he could be trusted not to repeat his behavior.

Retired Judge H. Thomas Padrick Jr. sent a 28-year-old New Hampshire man to prison for 25 years and five months for charges related to a traffic crash that killed a Bloxom woman and injured three motorcyclists in February of 2022.

Justin LaFerriere, also known as Justin Soeum, was given 20 years for voluntary manslaughter DUI involving the death of Angela Marie Kellam, and 20 years for DUI maiming for injuries to motorcyclists Breonte Shrieves, Terrell Northam, and Treyquan Johnson, who are also local residents.

LaFerriere was also sentenced to 12 months in prison for a second offense of DUI. His alcohol level was more than 0.2. The legal limit is .08. All but five years of the maiming charge and seven months of the DUI count were suspended. A study of the car’s electronics showed LaFerriere was going 93 mph, Commonwealth’s Attorney Spencer Morgan said.

The terms were set to run consecutively. Upon release, the defendant will be on good behavior for five years. His driver’s license was revoked.

LaFerriere admitted to the charges last October in a plea agreement with Morgan. In return for the pleas, Morgan consolidated the maiming counts into one felony and agreed not to proceed with charges of possession of stolen property and burglary tools, for which evidence was discovered during the crash investigation.

After the crash, the defendant was pulled from a burning car, and admitted to a rescue worker that he had been drinking. He initially told investigators that he lost control of the car after bullets were fired at him. He indicated that he was afraid of the motorcyclists who passed him just before his car went into oncoming traffic.

The crash occurred on Lankford Highway north of Accomac. Forty-four-year-old Kellam was driving south in a 2013 Chrysler 200 when she was struck head-on by LaFerriere who was driving a 2021 Toyota Camry. Kellam died on impact.

The three men who were driving the motorcycles were forced to put their bikes down when Kellam’s car flipped. Johnson suffered a broken ankle, Northam is recovering from lasting effects of a broken pelvis and Johnson has scars from road rash, Morgan said at the trial.

“Chatter at the accident scene was that the car had bullet holes,” Morgan said. After an investigation, it was determined that there was circle charring on the defendant’s vehicle caused by the fire. Dogs were used to search the area for firearms or shell casings, but none were found.

LaFerriere was free on bond from New Hampshire on charges of rape and disorderly conduct when the crash occurred.

As he did at the trial, LaFerriere took the witness stand to apologize to the victims, their families and their friends. Eighteen of those people attended the sentencing and stood at the judge’s request.

The defendant asked that someday that all would forgive him for his actions. He said he had not yet forgiven himself. “I’ve always known I have struggles with alcoholism,” he said. The reality sunk in when he woke up in the hospital. “I didn’t believe the situation I was in. At that moment, I knew what I should do was tell the truth. It was my decision to get behind the wheel… to drink and drive … the nurse told me that someone died. I knew that Jesus Christ had saved my life.”

The defendant said he would leave it to the judge to determine his sentence and did not directly ask for leniency.

Morgan listed LaFerriere’s numerous convictions and charges since 2013. “The defendant displays a wanton disregard for public safety.” He has a history of very dangerous behavior and a system that has not really punished him, the prosecutor added.