3 JMU students killed in West Virginia crash

John “Luke” Fergusson and Nicholas Troutman died in the incident, JMU said in a statement. A third student, Joshua Mardis, of Williamsburg, also died. 

"These three young men will always be remembered as Dukes and will forever be in our hearts," the statement said.

They were pronounced dead at the scene of the single-vehicle accident along West Virginia Route 259 near the Virginia border, the Hardy County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement

Five men, all 19-year-old JMU students, were in the vehicle. The driver and another passenger were airlifted to a hospital in critical condition.

Deputies determined that vehicle was traveling westbound on the road before veering off and striking a tree. The statement said the men were at a club prior to the accident about 37 miles from the JMU campus Harrisonburg. The statement said road conditions were dry and there were no signs of vehicle skid marks on the road. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.

JMU Vice President Jim Miller in a statement said: "It is with a heavy heart and sadness I write to inform you of the loss of several JMU students from a tragic car accident that occurred last night in West Virginia.”

"The university is currently working to confirm details with local authorities and the families of the students," he said. "It is extremely difficult to process and understand unexplainable incidents such as this.”