FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The tow truck driver accused of running a red light and killing 22-year-old Amaya Chenot, now has a warrant out for his arrest, seven months after the crash happened.
That tow truck driver, John Ashcraft, allegedly hit and killed Chenot on the morning of April 12 while she was on her way to work.
He faces felony vehicular manslaughter and felony DUI.
Friends and family of Chenot are trying to plan for their first holiday without their loved one, who died just one month before her 23rd birthday.
They still have one question, why did criminal charges take so long?
“She was that person that needed to be around. She deserved to have a life and build a life,” said Britzy Salazar.
Salazar had been friends with Chenot since high school.
The two did almost everything together, and Salazar considered her, a part of her family.
“It’s very unfair just because there is video evidence of what occurred,” she said.
Chenot was hit and killed by a tow truck on Friant Road back in April. Officials say the tow truck ran a hard red light and slammed into Amaya’s driver’s side.
“He took someone’s life, he took someone’s child, he took someone’s friend,” Salazar said. “It’s crazy to me that he wasn’t arrested that same night.”
Ashcraft was charged in Fresno County on Oct. 17, six months after the crash, for felony vehicular manslaughter and another felony charge for driving under the influence.
“It’s crazy to think how long it’s been,” she said.
The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office filed the complaint against Ashcraft.
They sent a statement saying, “That is not usual for cases in which the defendant was not cited or arrested by the investigating agency at the time of the crash. In these instances, when the criminal case is filed, an arrest warrant is sought in order to get jurisdiction over a defendant and get them into court to appear.”
It wasn’t until the investigation led the case to become criminal that Ashcraft could now be charged with Chenot’s killing.
“I still, I don’t think I’ve fully grasped the concept she is no longer here with us,” Salazar said. “No matter what we do, no matter if he goes to jail, no matter what happens she is no longer here. We can’t bring her back.”
Ashcraft’s warrant status has been active for more than a month, but he still hasn’t posted bail or turned himself in. His bail is set at $124,504 dollars.
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