Woman killed after tow truck driver runs red light in Fresno, California "UPDATED 12.15.23"

[TowForce]

This has to be one of the most disturbing video's I have ever watched. And now I can't unsee it, both tragic and preventable.

 

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KSEE) – A woman is dead after a tow truck driver allegedly ran a red light colliding with a car in northeast Fresno, according to the Fresno Police Department.

 

Police officers say the crash happened around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday at Friant Road and Shepard Avenue, where the woman was making a turn at the intersection.

 

Footage from a nearby camera that captured the crash can be seen in the video below.

 

 

The driver who died at the scene has not been officially identified.

 

Friant Avenue was closed from Audubon Drive Avenue to Fort Washington Road but has since reopened.

 

RESOURCE LINK

 

 

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A woman is dead after a crash involving a tow truck in the middle of a northeast Fresno intersection.

The crash happened before 1 am Wednesday at Friant Road and Shepherd Avenue.

Police say a tow truck was heading northbound on Friant at the time.

That's when a vehicle driving west on Shepherd was about to go south of Friant and collided with the tow truck.

Authorities confirmed that the tow truck driver ran a red light leading to the crash.

The woman was pinned in and had to be taken out of the vehicle.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The tow truck driver did not suffer any injuries.

 

RESOURCE LINK

[TowForce]

Civil complaint alleges Fresno tow truck driver in fatal Friant crash was under the influence

 

The tow truck driver who ran a red light and killed a 22-year-old Fresno woman in a car crash at Friant Road and Shepherd Avenue last month is alleged to have been under the influence of a controlled substance, according to a civil complaint filed by the family.

 

Police said the crash happened at about 1 a.m. April 12 as John Ashcraft, a tow truck driver with 1st Class Tow, ran through a red light at Friant Road, slamming into a sedan driven by Amaya Chenot, who died at the scene.

 

Neighbors in the area have seen several crashes happen at that intersection. One resident installed a security camera to keep track of the red light runners and wrecks.

 

“It was a horrific and terrible accident,” said Warren Paboojian, attorney for Kimberly Chenot, Amaya’s mother. “This intersection has had some terrible accidents in the years past and we are investigating this intersection and the conduct of the driver.”

 

In the complaint, filed Friday in Fresno County Superior Court, it is alleged Ashcraft took a controlled substance 24 hours before he crashed into Amaya Chenot.

 

The complaint doesn’t explain what the substance is or how the plaintiffs know Ashcraft had taken it.

 

Ashcraft should have known that taking a substance would have impaired his ability to drive a tow truck, according to the complaint.

 

“John Ashcraft willfully and deliberately failed to avoid these consequences, took the substances into his body, thereafter drove a tow truck and ran his vehicle through a red light that had been red for approximately 12 seconds and struck and killed Amaya Chenot,” the complaint states.

 

A civil complaint represents one side in a case.

 

Ashcraft could not be reached for comment Monday and it’s still unclear if he will face charges for Chenot’s death.

 

Taylor P. Long, public information officer for the district attorney, said prosecutors have not yet received the case for review.

 

The civil complaint seeks punitive damages along with damages for medical expenses, burial costs, and for wrongful death. The complaint doesn’t include a monetary figure.

 

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[TowForce]

No charges filed yet in deadly Fresno crash, driver has prior charges

 

That complaint alleges the tow truck driver was under the influence of a controlled substance when he crashed into Chenot's car

 

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The family of the 22-year-old Amaya Chenot who was hit and killed by a tow truck in northeast Fresno is now taking legal action. Chenot's mother filed a civil complaint against 1st Class Towing and the tow truck driver involved in the crash.

 

This isn't the first run-in with the law for the tow truck driver. Fresno Police say John Ashcraft was driving the tow truck early on the morning of April 12th when he ran a red light on Friant Road, hitting and killing 22-year-old Amaya Chenot.

 

Family and friends were devasted by her sudden death.

 

"She was great, she was one of a kind and I don't think I will ever find a friendship like that," said Lupita Salazar, a friend of Chenot.

 

That complaint alleges Ashcraft was under the influence of a controlled substance when he ran a red light and smashed into Chenot's car. It also claims he took the substance knowing it would impair his driving.

 

Attorney Warren Paboojian, who has filed the complaint for Chenot's mother, said he has evidence to support the claim.

 

"My investigation indicates that he had a controlled substance in him at the time," said Paboojian. "So I don't believe it was a DUI. In other words, alcohol-related; however, there's a controlled substance. And we're waiting for the toxicology report to come back to confirm our suspicions."

 

The civil complaint seeks damages for wrongful death and coverage of the funeral and burial expenses. Paboojian said he is waiting on a response from the tow company and Ashcraft.

 

This isn't the only accident Paboojian is filing a suit for at that intersection.

 

"There's a number of drivers that run red lights in that area, so I actually have currently three accidents in that intersection, currently, including this one," said Paboojian.

 

In May of 2021, court records show that Ashcraft was cited for driving on a suspended or revoked license. Fresno Police couldn't say if Ashcraft had a license at the time of the crash last month.

 

"I don't have any information on the status of his license," said Officer Chris Clark, Fresno Police. "The investigation is still ongoing. This is a complex and lengthy investigation, and it's being treated as serious as a homicide."

 

Prior to the 2021 citation, Ashcraft pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance in January 2007. He was sentenced to 2 years probation and a Narcotics Anonymous Program. Court records show between his sentencing and October 2008, he had 3 drug-related probation violations.

 

No charges have been filed against Ashcraft in the April crash at this time.

 

RESOURCE LINK

[TowForce]

CHARGES FILED: Driver in deadly Friant Road crash facing DUI, manslaughter accusations

 

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The tow-truck driver who allegedly drove through a red light and crashed into the side of another vehicle at a Fresno intersection in April has been charged by the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office – more than six months after the incident took place.

 

The crash happened around 12:30 a.m. on April 12 on Friant Road. The collision claimed the life of 22-year-old Amaya Chenot of Fresno.

 

Charging documents against the man alleged to have been driving the tow truck, 53-year-old John Ashcraft, were filed in Fresno County Superior Court on October 17. The documents show he was charged with two felony counts and two infractions.

 

The charges listed are:

• Gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated
• Driving under the influence (DUI) of drug while causing injury
• Failure to stop at a red light
• Driving without a valid license

According to the Fresno Police Department and the criminal complaint, on April 12, John Herbert Ashcraft was driving a tow truck at Friant Road and Shepherd Avenue. He went through a red light and collided with a car, causing the death of 22-year-old Amaya Chenot of Fresno.

 

After the crash happened, no criminal charges were immediately filed against Ashcraft, prompting the family of the victim to file a civil complaint. The complaint alleged the driver of the tow truck, who was employed by a company called 1st Class Tow, had taken a controlled substance within 24 hours before the crash that killed Chenot. An aggravating factor listed on the charging documents filed in October does state that “the level of methamphetamine in the system of John Herbert Ashcraft was especially high and in the potentially toxic range.”

 

Court records show he also has a warrant out for his arrest. According to the DA’s office, the warrant is to get jurisdiction over a defendant and get them into court to appear at an arraignment either voluntarily – or after being arrested and brought to court. Court records show an arraignment has not yet taken place.

 

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[TowForce]

Tow truck driver on the run after fatal collision, faces vehicular manslaughter and DUI charges

 

File Photo: John Ashcraft

 

FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — The tow truck driver who police say ran a red light and collided with another driver, killing her, is now on the run.

 

The Fresno Police Department says John Ashcraft collided with Amaya Chenot, 22, on April 12 at Friant and Shepherd.

 

Officers say Ashcraft, 53, is facing several charges including gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence of drug(s) while causing injury.

 

Ashcraft was charged last month and has missed several court dates, according to the DA’s Office.

 

Now, police say they are looking for him and he currently has a $124,000 warrant.

 

Anyone with information regarding the incident can call Crime Stoppers at 559-498-STOP.

 

RESOURCE LINK

[TowForce]

 

[TowForce]

Suspect in deadly crash in northeast Fresno to appear in court

 

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A tow truck driver accused of killing a woman in a northeast Fresno crash is due to appear before a judge.

John Ashcraft is expected to enter a plea in the death of 22-year-old Amaya Chenot.

The crash happened in the early morning hours of April 12 on Friant Road and Shepherd Avenue.

Police say Ashcraft ran a red light in his tow truck, hitting and killing Chenot.

A complaint filed by Chenot's family claimed that Ashcraft was under the influence of a controlled substance leading up to the crash.

The 53-year-old is being held in the Fresno County jail.

Bail is set at more than $100,000.

He faces several charges, including gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, running a red light, and driving without a valid license.

RESOURCE LINK

 

[TowForce]

Tow truck driver in deadly Friant Road crash in court

 

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The driver in the deadly crash on Fresno’s Friant Road between a tow truck and a sedan was in court on Thursday.

 

53-year-old John Ashcraft is facing charges relating to the incident on April 12, which claimed the life of 22-year-old Fresno woman Amaya Chenot.

 

According to court records, Ashcraft’s charges are gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence of drugs while causing injury, failing to stop at a red light, and driving without a valid license.

 

Ashcraft entered a plea of not guilty to all charges during Thursday’s arraignment inside Fresno County Superior Court.

 

Footage of the crash was captured on a camera set up on Friant Road by a Fresno man interested in knowing what was causing the crashes along that stretch of roadway.

 

The incident took place on April 12, according to the Fresno Police Department, and officials say Ashcraft was booked into jail on November 29 with a bail set at $125,000.

 

According to the Fresno Police Department and the criminal complaint, on April 12, John Ashcraft was driving a tow truck at Friant Road and Shepherd Avenue. He went through a red light and collided with a car, causing the death of 22-year-old Amaya Chenot of Fresno.

 

After the crash happened, no criminal charges were immediately filed against Ashcraft, prompting the family of the victim to file a civil complaint. The complaint alleged the driver of the tow truck, who was employed by a company called 1st Class Tow, had taken a controlled substance within 24 hours before the crash that killed Chenot. An aggravating factor listed on the charging documents filed in October does state that “the level of methamphetamine in the system of John Herbert Ashcraft was especially high and in the potentially toxic range.”

 

Ashcraft’s next hearing in court is scheduled for January.

 

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