Man changes plea to non-compete in fatal Friant accident

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Family members of 22-year-old Amaya Chenot are keeping her memory alive even after her tragic death in April 2023.

“She has a lot of great memories, a lot of great friends that still keep in touch with us and make sure we know she was loved,” said Chenot's aunt, Lindsay Chenot.

Chenot's life was cut short when her car was damaged while turning onto Friant Road from Shepherd in northeast Fresno.

“We’ll never see her again,” Lindsay said.

The incident was captured on video by Daniel Wells, who lives in the area.

Fresno police say John Ashcraft, then 53, drove a tow truck through a red light on Friant and hit Chenot's car.

He pleaded not guilty last December but changed his plea to no contest on Tuesday.

“You understand that I will accept your no contest pleas, but I will use those no contest pleas to enter a guilty verdict?” Fresno County Superior Court Judge Jonathan Conklin asked Ashcraft.

“Yes, Your Honor,” Ashcraft replied.

Chenot's family is grateful to be one step closer to closing the case.

“It’s been a long road,” Lindsay said. “He has been in custody for almost a year. “Obviously we've been dealing with this for about a year and a half, but it's nice to see that justice is finally being served so that he's almost taking responsibility for what he did.”

Ashcraft's defense attorney said his change in plea showed he was remorseful about the crash.

“It's a little difficult because I don't think he's shown any remorse,” Lindsay explained.

“It's not that we want any kind of recognition, but the look on his face is clear and it's hard to see.”

In court Tuesday, Ashcraft admitted he had been using a lot of meth and didn't have a driver's license at the time of the accident.

Ashcraft will be sentenced Oct. 30 on several charges, including aggravated manslaughter while intoxicated and aggravated assault while under the influence of alcohol.

He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

However, the judge in this case said the court would likely impose an interim sentence of a maximum of six years.

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