New Hampshire man pleads guilty to vehicular manslaughter in death of Eastern Shore woman

By Linda Cicoira

A New Hampshire man pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter DUI and related charges Thursday in Accomack Circuit Court in connection with a traffic crash that killed a Bloxom woman and injured three motorcyclists earlier this year.

A pre-sentence report was ordered for 28-year-old Justin LaFerriere, also known as Justin Soeum. Sentencing was set for Feb. 23, 2023.

The pleas were part of a bargaining agreement with Commonwealth’s Attorney Spencer Morgan. The prosecutor consolidated three counts of DUI maiming into one felony count and agreed not to proceed with charges of possession of stolen property and burglary tools, for which evidence was discovered during the crash investigation.

LaFerriere also pleaded guilty to a second offense of DUI with an alcohol level of more than 0.2. The legal limit is .08.

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

The collision occurred on Lankford Highway north of Accomac. Forty-four-year-old Angela Marie 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.

Motorcyclists Breonte Shrieves, Terrell Northam, and Treyquan Johnson were forced to put their bikes down when Kellam’s car flipped. Johnson suffered a broken ankle, Northam is still recovering from lasting effects of a broken pelvis, and Johnson has scars from road rash, Morgan said.

The three bike riders observed LaFerriere’s erratic driving, the prosecutor continued. They passed the vehicle, then saw it speed up, go into the median, and cross over into Kellam’s car. A study of the car’s electronics showed LaFerriere was going 93 mph, Morgan said.

“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 Massachusetts on charges of rape and disorderly conduct when the crash occurred, Morgan said.

The defendant took the witness stand Thursday to apologize to the victims and their families. “I accept full responsibility for what happened,” LaFerriere said. “This was my fault. I made a mistake that I can’t take back … I wrote a letter for the family and for the gentlemen that were on the motorcycles … it was never my intention for anyone to be hurt that day. … Over the last eight months, I have had a lot of time to think about this poor decision.” He said he hoped that all would be able to forgive him someday. “I wish I could go back and change it.”