The woman who sped past an interstate roadblock set up to protect President Bush’s motorcade is being charged with reckless endangerment, evading arrest, resisting arrest, assaulting a police officer, and DUI.
Kristen Marie Ashton, 34, of Reno, Nevada, was taken into custody at 11:35 a.m. after a 20-minute pursuit.
Ashton, driving a 2007 Ford Mustang bearing a Louisiana tag and owned by Hertz rental car, sped past Officer Don Davidson and two TDOT Help Trucks that had blocked the westbound lanes of I-40 just prior to Briley Parkway as the president’s motorcade was beginning to make its way from Armory Drive to the Opryland Hotel. The Mustang accelerated past the roadblock on the shoulder of the interstate.
Officer Davidson pursued Ashton as she drove on I-40 to I-24 to I-65. Ashton exited I-65 at Briley Parkway, took Dickerson Pike to Trinity Lane, made a U-turn, and briefly got back on I-65. During this time, a police helicopter assumed the primary role in the pursuit and ground officers turned off their emergency equipment. With the helicopter overhead, Ashton traveled on Briley Parkway to Gallatin Pike, drove through the Kmart parking lot on Gallatin Pike, took Gallatin Pike to Berkley Drive, and abandoned the car in the middle of Berkley Drive near the Coreland Drive intersection. Ashton ran about 150 yards before Officer Davidson caught up with her. She resisted arrest and kicked Davidson as she was being placed in his police car.
During questioning, Ashton said that she had no idea President Bush was in town. She admitted to smoking marijuana much of the night and said she thought people were after her. It is unclear why Ashton is in Nashville.
Kristen Marie Ashton
###
Disclaimer: These links are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department of any of the products, services or opinions of the corporation or organization or individual. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.
Send questions or comments about this site to webmaster@police.nashville.org
