NORRISTOWN — A Norristown woman faces periods of house arrest and probation on charges she was speeding and trying to outpace another vehicle when she caused a four-vehicle crash on West Main Street in the borough, killing a passenger in another vehicle and injuring five others.
Ashley Aniyah Jones, 20, of the 200 block of East Chestnut Street, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to five years of restrictive probation after she pleaded guilty to felony charges of homicide by vehicle and aggravated assault by vehicle in connection with the June 26, 2023, crash that claimed the life of Francisco Salgado-Hernandez, a passenger in one of the vehicle’s struck by Jones’ vehicle.
Judge Thomas C. Branca said Jones must serve the first 11½ months of the probationary period under house arrest on electronic monitoring. That means Jones can leave her residence only for court approved purposes such as work or medical appointments.
Jones must also complete 80 hours of community service and is also responsible for paying $9,344 restitution in connection with the case.
Branca warned Jones that if she violates the sentence in any way she faces going to prison.
“You’re going to be very restricted to what you can do and where you can go. You’re on a short leash,” Branca warned Jones.
By pleading guilty to the homicide by vehicle charge, Jones admitted that she recklessly, or with gross negligence, caused the death of Salgado-Hernandez while carelessly driving her vehicle.
The crash occurred about 10:28 p.m. June 26 in the 400 block of West Main Street between George and Chain streets.
Defense lawyer Marc Neff argued for a probationary sentence with house arrest for Jones, which was allowable under state sentencing guidelines. Neff characterized Jones as a “young, neophyte driver who drove too fast and lost control of the vehicle” during a torrential rain and made a reckless mistake.
“This was a young girl with very little driving experience. Although she was driving at an excessive speed, in torrential rain, she did not intend the outcome, but rather lost control of the vehicle and could not regain that control due to the heavy rains,” Neff argued, adding Jones had just left a cemetery where she was visiting the grave of her brother.
Neff said Jones accepted responsibility, is extremely remorseful and has suffered mental anguish and is of little to no risk of recidivism.
“As tragic as it may seem, an inexperienced driver lost control of her vehicle, while driving recklessly, trying to beat her friend to the traffic light. In doing so, she lost control of her vehicle and could not recover, helpless to prevent the crash,” said Neff, adding the incident “should not be confused” with drag racing. “She didn’t plan this. This was simply friends trying to beat one another to a traffic signal.”
Assistant District Attorney Siobhan Alexandria Harding argued for a state prison term of 15 to 30 months for Jones.
“This was an incredibly egregious situation where the defendant acted recklessly behind the wheel and as a result of it she injured many people and she killed Francisco Salgado-Hernandez. That was a tragedy that should have never happened,” Harding argued.
With the charges, authorities alleged Jones’ reckless conduct involved operating a 2014 Toyota Highlander sports utility vehicle eastbound on West Main Street at about 80 mph in a posted 25 mph speed zone during bad weather conditions.
“Driving is a privilege and not a right. When she got behind the wheel she had an obligation, just as we all do, to drive safely on the roads,” Harding said.
In a criminal complaint, Norristown Detective Charles Leeds alleged “Jones was racing another vehicle that was also traveling at a high speed. There was heavy rain at the time. As Jones was navigating a right curve in the area of George Street she lost control of her vehicle.”
Jones’ vehicle crossed into the oncoming westbound lane of travel and caused a crash that ultimately involved three other vehicles, including a Honda Civic in which Salgado-Hernandez, 20, was a rear seat passenger. A woman who was a front seat passenger in the Honda, which came to rest on the sidewalk on the northeast corner of West Main and Chain streets, also was critically injured.
Five others sustained minor to moderate injuries, according to court documents. Jones, who was traveling with an 11-year-old girl in her vehicle, suffered injuries to her knee and arms.
Salgado-Hernandez was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead at 11:12 p.m. An autopsy determined Salgado-Hernandez died of “multiple blunt impact injuries with fractures and visceral injuries” and the manner of death was ruled accident, according to court documents.
One witness told detectives she believed Jones was racing or trying to outpace another eastbound sedan at the time of the crash.
Detectives, who obtained camera surveillance footage from area businesses that captured the moments leading up to the crash, ultimately determined that Jones’ SUV was traveling 83.3 mph at 4.6 seconds before the crash and at 51 mph at the time of impact in the area with a posted speed limit of 25 mph, according to the arrest affidavit.
During an interview by detectives, Jones conceded she “may have been speeding a little” in order to get in front of the other eastbound driver but she denied racing, according to the arrest affidavit.
Other charges of involuntary manslaughter, recklessly endangering other persons, careless and reckless driving, and illegal racing were dismissed against Jones at time of sentencing in exchange for her guilty plea to the most serious felony charges.
