Judge reviewing probation sentence in man's death by a Maserati driver

GREENVILLE -- A South Carolina judge is reviewing the probation-only sentence he gave a man who plowed his speeding Maserati through a house, killing a 62-year-old man, a newspaper reported Saturday.

Circuit Judge James Williams Jr. told the Greenville News that he is reconsidering whether the sentence he handed John Ludwig was too lenient and he expects to issue a decision within a few weeks.

Last month, Williams sentenced Ludwig, 37, to three years probation and 500 hours of community service after the former business man pleaded guilty to reckless homicide in the death of Frederic Bardsley. Ludwig had originally been charged with murder.

Bardsley was killed April 25 after Ludwig's Maserati hurtled through a field, launched off an embankment and plowed into the back of Bardsley's home. Ludwig, whose attorneys say lost control after swerving to miss several deer, suffered minor injuries in the crash.

Days after the plea and sentencing, Solicitor Bob Ariail filed a motion that called the probation-only sentence "disproportionate" to similar cases. Ariail had asked that Ludwig be sentenced to a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Bardsley's family did not ask that Ludwig be sentenced to prison. Days before the hearing, they signed a $3 million settlement with Ludwig's insurance companies and his former business.

A spokesman for the state's top prosecutor says Attorney General Henry McMaster also has concerns about the case and has lawyers in his office reviewing the facts.

"The attorney general is concerned about the sentencing like a lot of people in Greenville," Trey Walker said. "At this time, it's unclear what avenue is available."

If he violates probation, Ludwig faces five years in prison.