Woman sentenced to prison in Maplewood hit-and-run that killed 1, injured another
A 35-year-old woman has been sentenced to over 20 years in prison for killing one person and injuring another in a Twin Cities hit-and-run.
On Monday, Ashley Couch of St. Paul was sentenced to 243 months — 20 years and 3 months — in prison, with credit for time served in connection to the deadly incident in Maplewood last August.
Couch previously pleaded guilty to unintentional second-degree murder and second-degree assault. She initially pleaded not guilty.
The crash happened Aug. 16, 2024 at Larpenteur Avenue East and Dieter Street North. Two groups of people agreed to meet at that intersection that night for a fight after another altercation earlier in the day, according to the criminal complaint. Couch was associated with one group, while the victims of the hit-and-run were part of the other.
According to the complaint, the two victims were standing outside a car in the intersection when a driver in a Dodge Charger turned onto Larpenteur, hit the car and continued driving. The surviving victim was thrown into the air.
The other victim, identified as 23-year-old Zakirrah Anderson, had injuries that "appeared to match up with being dragged under a vehicle for an extended distance," investigators said. She was taken to the hospital where she later died.
Police arrested Couch after "a concerned citizen" called Maplewood police and identified her as the suspect, the complaint states. The caller also said Couch hid the vehicle. St. Paul police found the vehicle in an alley, with significant damage.
After being shown video of the hit-and-run, Couch denied intentionally hitting anyone, the complaint said.
