RUSSELLVILLE – Kenny and Michelle Ferguson were described by relatives as a happy couple with a strong love for each other and a lasting devotion to their families.

“Kenny was dealt a tough hand in life, but he made the best of what he had,” said Debra Vincent, Kenny Ferguson’s sister. “He had such a big heart and could find forgiveness in anyone, this was a man full of affection.”

The couple lived in Browder – Kenny worked as an auto mechanic in Russellville while Michelle was an administrative assistant and a certified nursing assistant at Greenville Nursing and Rehabilitation.

They were on the verge of celebrating four years of marriage when their lives were cut short Aug. 16, 2020, in a crash on Lewisburg Road.

Kenny was 54 and Michelle was 44; their grandson, Asher Stratton, 2 years old at the time, survived the crash.

They were the victims of Ross Hobbs, whose Dodge Ram crashed head-on into the vehicle carrying the Fergusons and their grandchild.

On Friday, Hobbs, 58, of Lewisburg, was sentenced to 12 years in prison on two counts of second-degree manslaughter, three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon and operating on a suspended license.

Vincent and other relatives of the couple spoke in Logan Circuit Court about the impact the tragedy has had on them.

Michelle Ferguson’s mother, Cindy Rogers, said the loss of her daughter has caused “unbearable pain” for the surviving family.

“There’s a brokenness that settles upon your heart and missing Michelle is the most empty feeling,” Rogers said. “I want Michelle here with us, not memories, not pictures, but her. … She had a heart as big as the universe, she was kind, unselfish and always willing to give all she had and more. She loved life with a passion.”

Micaela Rust, Asher Stratton’s mother, credits the child’s grandparents with saving his life by securing him properly in a car seat in the back of the vehicle before setting out on the day of the crash.

Rust said her son still carries trauma from the tragedy.

“My son spent months being scared of being in a car,” Rust said in court. “My son has to grow up without two people who loved him so much. All we can do is keep the memory of them alive.”

After striking the vehicle carrying the Fergusons and their grandson, Hobbs’ truck flipped and crashed into a third vehicle carrying Rosanna Baatz of Russellville and Ronald Grise of Dunmor who were both injured.

According to court records, authorities responding to the crash detected an odor of alcohol and marijuana coming from Hobbs, who was critically injured after being thrown from his truck.

Beer cans were found at the crash site, and a subsequent investigation by the Logan County Sheriff’s Department produced accounts from witnesses several months after the crash who claimed to have seen Hobbs drink at the AMVETS Post 64 in Lewisburg before the fatal incident, records show.

No blood sample was taken from Hobbs in the immediate aftermath of the crash, and without medical proof of intoxication, he was not charged with driving under the influence.

An indictment charged Hobbs with two counts of murder, but a plea agreement reduced those charges to second-degree manslaughter and dismissed some additional criminal counts.

Ashley Kitchens, Michelle Ferguson’s sister, said surviving relatives had hoped for a longer sentence for Hobbs but would ultimately be content with the 12-year prison term reached through the plea agreement.

“You deserve to be made an example of,” Kitchens said in court, addressing Hobbs. “I find satisfaction in knowing that you will spend the rest of your days in a jail cell. My justice is in hoping you will die there.”

Sarah Rogers, another of Michelle’s sisters, said Hobbs’ actions “stole our happiness.”

Hobbs, sitting with his attorney, James Rummage of the Department of Public Advocacy, was given an opportunity to address the court before the victim impact statements read by the Fergusons’ relatives.

Hobbs said he was haunted by memories of the crash and that the families of the victims deserved the justice they sought.

“Knowing that I don’t deserve to ask, I can only pray that God grant you the strength to forgive me one day for causing that accident,” Hobbs said.

This case was resolved by Hobbs entering an Alford plea, in which a defendant does not take criminal responsibility but does acknowledge enough evidence exists for a jury to return a guilty verdict.

Logan County Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Nathan Beard said Hobbs’ apologetic tone at sentencing ran counter to a lengthy criminal history that included multiple convictions for drunken driving, driving on a suspended license, robbery, burglary and a 1990 case in Illinois involving a home invasion and sexual assault that led to Hobbs being given a 25-year prison sentence and ordered to register as a sex offender.

At the time of the fatal crash, Hobbs was on pretrial release in Logan County following charges in a separate incident for driving on a suspended license and possession of marijuana, and Hobbs was known for driving back roads in an effort to avoid being seen by law enforcement, Beard said.

Several hours of recorded phone calls Hobbs made from jail while the case was pending give a picture of a person with “no remorse and an extreme indifference to human life,” Beard said.

“Looking at his history, it almost seems like this was bound to happen,” Beard said.

Logan Circuit Judge Joe Hendricks said the lack of forensic evidence proving intoxication was a “serious concern,” and that a jury likely would have found Hobbs guilty of murder if such evidence were available.

“We cannot deal out perfect justice in this world because the system is run by human beings who are flawed,” Hendricks said, addressing the victims’ families. “I’m proud of those of you who are taking care of the living and I see a lot of love and compassion in your family. … I do regret that we do not have the full measure of justice that should be brought today.”