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Driver charged in death of Virginia Beach sailor appears in court

UPDATE Oct. 2, 2020: The case against Nathaniel Campbell was certified to the Oct. 19 grand jury.

The case was also set Nov. 23 for trial.



VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — The man charged in the death of a U.S. Navy sailor has made his first appearance in court. 

A Virginia Beach judge arraigned 38-year-old Nathaniel Campbell on a charge of involuntary manslaughter Friday.  

Police say Campbell was speeding through the outbound lanes at Gate 8 at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story when his car slammed into a master-at-arms’ vehicle Nov. 30.

According to court documents, data from inside Campbell’s vehicle shows he was going 81 mph at the time of impact in the crash that killed 23-year-old Oscar Temores. 

Campbell didn’t say much during his arraignment, only answering the judge’s questions via webcam. He requested a public defender. 

Campbell used a walker to get up from his seat and into a wheelchair. His right leg appeared to be in a cast. 

In court documents, investigators say Campbell was speeding more than three times the posted limit of 25 mph when he slammed his truck into the sailor’s security vehicle.  

Temores died at the hospital. 

“The loss our sailor will not only be felt across the Navy but even more so here at Fort Story where he worked, where people knew him,” Capt. Joey Frantzen said in a press conference this week. 

Temores leaves behind a wife, a child and family in California. 

“You hear stories about things [happening] overseas in much more hostile environments but to see such a tragic event on our home territory, at a base where there’s so many patrolmen, where there’s so many service members around, it’s devastating,” said Ricky Temores, the sailor’s brother.  

It’s not clear why Campbell was speeding toward the base or why he was in Virginia Beach. 

Court documents show Campbell is unemployed, has no family in the area, and is from Shenandoah, VA. 

He’s currently being held without bond, but he could request a bond hearing once he meets with his attorney.  

Campbell’s next court date is set for Jan. 24.  

Stay with WAVY News for any updates as we continue to follow this story.