This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Pleasant Grove police say a woman died when a repo-man, chasing her at speeds of 70-80 mph on city streets, allegedly forced her off the road, causing her to crash into a tree.
Killed in the 12:15 a.m. Tuesday collision was 35-year-old Ashleigh Holloway Best, who was behind the wheel of a Lincoln Navigator being pursued by an On Demand Repo truck, allegedly driven by 49-year-old Kenneth Lee Drew.
Pleasant Grove Police Chief Mike Smith said Drew was arrested and booked into the Utah County jail on suspicion of second-degree manslaughter.
"It's just sad, really sad, that a piece of property is the center of this kind of tragedy," the chief said, adding that as a law enforcement officer he had never heard of such an apparently aggressive effort to repossess a vehicle.
Around midnight, Drew had shown up at Best's residence to tow the Navigator, and an argument ensued. When she got into the vehicle and drove away, Drew allegedly jumped into his truck and gave chase.
"That [chase] went on throughout Pleasant Grove. We're still investigating all the aspects of recklessness and speed involved, but what we have uncovered at this point is that she was forced off the road, hit a tree and was killed," Smith said.
Best, who reportedly had recently moved to Utah from Jacksonville, Fla., was pronounced dead at the scene.
Smith confirmed that it was Drew who made the initial 911 call reporting the crash.
Police believe speeds through city streets were 70-80 mph, and apparently the collision, ending at 682 N. 100 East, occurred at full speed. "There's no evidence of braking before impact," Smith said.
A check of court records showed no previous felonies for Drew, although in 2013 he was convicted of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, a class B misdemeanor.
Contacted by telephone, a man who answered at Salt Lake City-based On Demand Repos' office hung up. A second call, asking for the owner — listed as Brian Edwards — yielded no comment.
Twitter: @remims