Woman gets over 20 years in prison for fatal Maplewood hit-and-run

A woman was sentenced on Monday to over 20 years (243 months) for a fatal hit-and-run in Maplewood last summer.

Ashley Couch, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder and one count of second-degree assault.

She was sentenced to 222 months for the murder charge and 21 months for the assault charge. The sentences will be served consecutively, bringing the total to 243. Couch has credit for 243 days already served.

As previously reported, Couch hit two women with her car — dragging one of them to her death — in August. 23-year-old Zakirrah Anderson was rushed to the hospital but died from her injuries. Another woman sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Witnesses told investigators that two rival groups of women had met up to fight because one of the groups had shot at the other earlier in the day.

A Snapchat video of the incident shows Anderson and the other victim standing outside a car parked on the north side of Larpenteur Avenue at the intersection with Prosperity Road. A Dodge Charger turned left from Prosperity and onto Larpenteur, striking the two women. The surviving victim was tossed into the air while Anderson was pulled under the Charger and dragged for several yards.

One witness told police they heard the suspect driver yell, “I’ll hit y’all’s ass” before hitting the victims.