Drunk driver who killed Summers County star athlete sentenced to prison

BECKLEY, W.Va. (WVVA) - It was judgement day for a drunk driver who killed a former stand-out athlete for Summers County High School on I-77 in Beaver.

The crash happened during Governor Jim Justice’s shelter-in-place order at the beginning of the Pandemic in April of 2020. Prosecutors said Nicholas Farthing had just done 14 shots at a local bar, the Crash Zone, and was driving more than 160 miles per hour when he crashed into Isaiah Brown’s car.

Farthing pleaded guilty in January of 2022 to Driving Impaired Causing Death.

Before sentencing, Brown’s family spoke on his behalf.

His sister, Ashley Brown, recalled the moment she learned her world was collapsing. “My cousin said my brother, my best friend, my everything....gone. Why would someone choose to drink and drive? Why was a bar open in the Pandemic? Why would someone go that fast?”

But the questions did not end on that fateful day, according to Brown’s other sister, Candace.

“He has shown zero remorse and continued to drive drunk since my brother’s passing. My family has received several messages about him driving drunk after the passing of my brother.”

An attorney for Brown’s estate, John Mize, pleaded the judge for justice as he recalled instances in which Farthing was pulled over, but given a free pass.

“So we’ve talked about the 2-3 times he was charged and the one previous time he was convicted. But it’s much larger than that. That’s the problem when you give someone a slap on the wrist -- there’s no lesson learned. So it has to end today and it has to end here.”

At the end of Friday’s hearing, Judge Darl Poling gave Farthing the maximum sentence for the charge, between 3-15 years in prison.

For Brown’s family, it was a small measure of justice for a life snatched away.

“Sometimes it feels so selfish to continue my life when his was stolen,” said Brown.

The family also credited Capt. Jason Redden, who was off duty at the time, for responding quickly to the crash and helping the family.