ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ

ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœMaybe he can be a beacon for somebody else to not do this.ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ�

Joshua Michael Wilson, 24, of Middleport, Ohio, was out with his friends and drinking on July 4 when they decided to go watch fireworks, according to his testimony in October. He was driving a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado when he went through a red light at the intersection of U.S. 60 and Davis Creek Road and struck the vehicle of 17-year-old Cabell Midland student .

At the time, according to Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Brandon Morgan, WilsonÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s blood alcohol concentration was 0.194. The legal limit to drive in West Virginia is 0.08.

McComas died at the scene, and his passenger, then-17-year-old Logan McGlothin, was seriously injured.

Wilson waived his right to a trial and pleaded guilty in October to driving under the influence causing serious bodily injury and driving under the influence causing death.

On Wednesday, he was sentenced by Cabell County Circuit Judge Sean Hammers to three to 15 years in the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation for DUI causing death and fined $1,000. Wilson was also sentenced to two to 10 years for DUI causing serious bodily injury with a $1,000 fine.

Hammers ruled the sentences would run consecutively, and Wilson was credited for time served since he was taken into custody in July. Hammers also ordered restitution for the unreimbursed funeral expenses for McComasÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™ family totaling about $15,555, and $528 to McGlothin for a cell phone that was destroyed during the crash.

ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœSir, youÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™re only going to be 28 years old, very young, when you are eligible to see the parole board. ThatÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s the maximum sentence I can give to you. Maybe this should be a message to the Legislature that maybe our penalties should be higher for these types of crimes,ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ� Hammers said to Wilson. ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœMaybe when you get out, you can make something of yourself.ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ�

Of the family members who attended in support of McComas and McGlothin, four of them spoke, including McComasÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™ mother and grandmother and McGlothinÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s stepfather and grandfather, both of whom are first responders who were on the scene of the crash. Each of them expressed their grief since the crash, and three asked the judge for the maximum sentence for Wilson.

ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœI am guilty to both counts,ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ� Wilson said. ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœI do feel remorse. ItÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s hard for me, but I know itÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s harder for the families. I know theyÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™re about to get up here and talk about me, but whatever they say, IÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™ve already said to myself. No matter the sentence you give me, I have to live with this the rest of my life. ItÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s a life sentence before I even get sentenced.ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ�

While Hammers said he reviewed WilsonÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s history and found he was a good student whoÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s life was on the ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœright track with a lot of potential,ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ� his criminal history showed 17 misdemeanors, all driving offenses ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ” 16 speeding violations, all well over the speed limit; and one DUI in Gallia County, Ohio, last year, that Spears said was eventually dismissed on a plea.

ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœTwo to 15 (years) for DUI causing death is not long enough,ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ� Amanda Mercer, McComasÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™ mother, said after the sentencing.

Debbie McComas, Braxton McComasÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™ grandmother whom he was with the night of the crash, spoke during the hearing and said her grandson was in the basement, jamming with his friends, when he decided to drive one of them home.

When she received an alert from Life360, a tracking app, that Braxton McComasÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™ car had come to a stop, he was less than a mile from her home.

Debbie McComas remembers her grandson as a kind, straight-A student studying to become an astrophysicist who loved lacrosse, fishing and the outdoors and as someone who wanted to make the world a better place. He was also a musician who played the guitar, keyboard and the tenor drums in his high school band, the Marching Knights.

She said his friends who were with him that night will still sometimes come over to hang out in the music room of their basement, but they canÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™t replace the hole Braxton McComas left.

McGlothinÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s stepfather, first responder Christopher Fetty, also spoke, saying he would never forget that night. Fetty was on the scene, and although he was one of the people who worked to save McGlothinÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s life, Fetty didnÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™t recognize him at first from his injuries.

McGlothin, now 18, said after the hearing that he has lingering issues from the wreck, but he said he feels heÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s the ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœleast hurt by the situationÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ� and is just trying to live ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœday by day.ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ�

Mercer and McGlothin said students at Cabell Midland High School have tried to honor McComas by hosting prayers and a vigil for him, printing his name on the side of the T-shirts for the senior class and wearing galaxy-style clothing during a football game to represent his love for the cosmos. Mercer was given McComasÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™ band jacket on senior night, and she said the school has taken up donations for the Huntington Cabell Wayne Animal Control Shelter where McComas volunteered.

ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœI like that theyÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™re keeping him alive that way,ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ� Mercer said. ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœBraxton, I love you, more than you will ever know.ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ�

To anyone considering drinking and driving, Mercer said, ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœNobody cares if youÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™re drinking. Nobody cares at all. Just stay at the house. Stay wherever youÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™re at. Leave your keys. DonÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™t get behind the wheel of a car. Just stay at the house because then you canÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™t kill anybody that way.ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ�