Massachusetts man who killed ‘remarkable young woman’ in wrong-way crash is sentenced to prison

A man who robbed a 7-Eleven before killing a “remarkable young woman” in a wrong-way crash while fleeing police has been sentenced to prison.

Salem man William Leger, 40, is facing decades behind bars in connection to the death of Ashley Forward, 19, back in June of 2021.

Five years ago to the day, Leger committed a robbery at 7-Eleven on Lincoln Avenue in Saugus and then fled from a cop.

Leger drove a stolen vehicle south in the northbound lanes of Route 107, and collided with Forward’s vehicle.

Forward, of Lynn — who had just finished her first year as a nursing student at Emmanuel College — was killed in the crash. She was visiting her grandmother when the devastating crash happened.

Leger entered guilty pleas to charges of manslaughter, unarmed robbery, and receiving a stolen vehicle. He was sentenced to 18-20 years in state prison for the manslaughter charge, to be followed by 6-8 years in state prison for the unarmed robbery charge. That will be followed by five years of probation.

Before the sentencing, Forward’s younger sister Jillian and mother, Michelle Luongo, spoke about the impact of Leger’s actions and of Forward.

She was an athletic graduate of KIPP Academy Lynn Collegiate High School, who was on her to becoming a nurse. Also, Forward had volunteered with My Brother’s Table and the Boys & Girls Club of Lynn.

“Ashley was a remarkable young woman with a bright future ahead of her,” her mother said. “She was kind, compassionate, and always willing to help others no matter what… Nursing was not just a career choice for her – it reflected who she was.

“She wanted to care for people, to comfort them, and to heal them,” her mother added. “Her life mattered deeply – not just to her family, her friends, or the community where she gave so much of her time, but to the people she would have helped along the way.”