Salt Lake City, UT – 1 November 2016 – A man charged with manslaughter for allegedly running a woman off the road to her death in an attempt to repossess her SUV in May will likely reach a plea agreement with prosecutors, his attorney said Tuesday.
Kenneth Lee Drew, 50, of American Fork, waived his preliminary hearing in 4th District Court on Tuesday, said defense attorney Loni DeLand, and there is a “high likelihood” Drew will accept a plea deal from prosecutors at an arraignment set for Nov. 28.
Prosecutors proposed a plea deal when Drew arrived for his preliminary hearing last Thursday, said Deputy Utah County Attorney Jared Perkins, but both parties needed time to discuss it.
Drew is accused of causing the death of 35-year-old Ashleigh Best on May 17, after he went to Best’s Pleasant Grove home to repossess her vehicle, charging documents state.
Surveillance video shows that after Drew tried to box Best’s SUV in with his tow truck, she maneuvered the vehicle around his truck, charges state, and Drew — an employee of On Demand Repo — went “speeding” after her “in very close pursuit.”
Police believe speeds through city streets reached 70 to 80 mph and allege in charges that Drew drove the tow truck “straight” on an S-curve “to pin Mrs. Best against the curb on the right.”
The SUV jumped the curb and hit a tree — a collision that inflicted fatal injuries on Best, charges state. Police believe the collision occurred at full speed.
Manslaughter is a second-degree felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
DeLand said Tuesday he could not disclose terms of the potential plea deal.
Source: The Salt Lake Tribune
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