PORTLAND, Oregon — Ashlee McGill was 26 years old and waiting at a Southeast Portland bus stop last year when street racing drivers lost control, striking and killing her. On Thursday, one of the drivers involved in that race made a deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty.
McGill was a young mother, and family members say that she always had a smile — she was always up for adventure. Her life was cut short early in the morning on August 27, 2022, at Southeast Stark Street and 133rd Avenue.
Prosecutors say that 36-year-old Kenneth Joseph Freeman was one of three drivers racing side by side down Stark Street at speeds over 80 miles an hour. The cars collided and one of them went off the roadway, hitting McGill.
While Freeman wasn't behind the wheel of the car that hit McGill, prosecutors argued that his involvement took a life. Freeman has a lengthy criminal history, but never anything like this.
Freeman had been facing a charge of second-degree manslaughter, but agreed to a plea deal offered by prosecutors. He pleaded guilty Thursday to a lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide. He was sentenced to 60 months, or five years in prison, with time served.
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Ashlee's mom had a message for him in court.
“I said that I hope that he changes his life and the choices he makes and changes a negative into a positive and contributes to society instead of doing what he’s been being in a revolving door of the jail,” Misty Nichols told KGW after the hearing.
As for her daughter, Nichols said life hasn't been the same without her. She’s devastated, but not allowing McGill's death to be in vain.
“I miss her. I hope she's up there and sees that I’m trying to get justice for her and stop the street racing and at least get people to think twice about it before being so reckless,” said Nichols.
Prosecutors say that another man, identified as Jonathan Pena, was the driver who hit Ashlee. He was seriously injured in the crash but survived. Just last month, Pena was also indicted in the case, charged with second-degree manslaughter. So far he has not been taken into custody. The third driver has not been identified.
Along with losing her daughter, Misty Nichols also lost her mother in the past few months. She passed, Nichols said, due to the stress and heartbreak of losing her granddaughter. A GoFundMe has been set up to help defray the costs of two funerals in the past year.