By Jon King / jking@whmi.com


A North Carolina man has been sentenced in connection with a fatal crash involving alcohol on US-23 that claimed the life of his young daughter and seriously injured his wife and son.

37-year-old Jonathan Osborne from Fayetteville, North Carolina was charged with one count of Moving Violation Causing Death, two counts of Moving Violation Causing Serious Injury and one count of Open Intoxicants in a Motor Vehicle following the crash that happened around 11pm on New Year’s Day.

In court last month, Osborne entered a guilty plea and was ordered to serve six months of probation, with a follow-up review scheduled for next March. He was also ordered to abstain from using alcohol and marijuana, avoid going to bars and continue using a remote breathalyzer unit while he continues probation, which he can do remotely from North Carolina.

The Sheriff’s Office says Osborne was operating a 2006 Ford Expedition on northbound US-23, south of M-59, when he lost control and crashed, striking several trees. His 4-year-old daughter was ejected from the vehicle and succumbed to injuries at the scene while his 33-year-old wife and 8-year-old son were seriously injured and had to be extricated. Sheriff’s officials said speed was also a likely factor in the crash.