A man convicted of killing a 19-year-old girl in a wrong-way crash in Saugus in 2021 was sentenced to 24 to 28 years in prison on Tuesday, followed by five years of probation.
William Leger, 40, of Somerville, pled guilty to the charges brought against him during jury selection last week. Leger acknowledged robbing a 7-Eleven on Lincoln Avenue in Saugus on June 9, 2021, and leading police on a chase in a stolen automobile. He then collided with the victim while driving in the opposite way on Route 107.
Ashley Forward, of Lynn, was pronounced deceased on the scene. Her relatives claimed she was on her way to work at Target at the time of the collision. They said she was studying to be a nurse.
During the sentencing, several of Forward’s family members delivered impact statements.
“It has been exactly 1,286 days, 43,838 hours, since the tragedy,” stated Ashley’s sister Jillian Forward.
“I will never hear Ashley’s voice again, see her smile again, or have her roll her blue eyes at me again,” Ashley’s mother, Michelle Luongo, stated. “Ashley was more than just a victim in this case or a name on a police report. She was a daughter, sister, mentor, champion, student, and young woman who brightened the lives of those around her.”
Leger also addressed the court during the hearing, pleading with Forward’s family for forgiveness.
“Today, your honor, I would like to express my repentance and guilt to this court.” I feel beyond bad, your honor, for this case,” Leger stated. “Sincerely, I apologize. Hopefully, one day you will forgive me; it would mean the world to me.”
Outside court, 7NEWS asked Luongo if she would forgive him, and she said, “Not at this time; for him, it didn’t feel heartfelt.”
Leger will serve his term at a state jail. He is eligible for parole in 2045, when he will be 59 years of age.
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