The driver who backed into the path of a motorcycle, fatally injuring the cyclist, entered a plea in Columbus County District Court on Monday.
Ashley Nichole Spaulding, 34, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor death by vehicle, and was sentenced to 75 days behind bars and five days special supervised probation. The sentence was transferred to Cumberland County, where Spaulding now lives. Spaulding is also required to pay $398 in probation and court costs. She previously lived on Pine Log Road near Whiteville, according to court documents.
The collision occurred at 2:26 a.m. on March 15, 2025, according to the warrant. The report said that Gregroy Lynn Jones of Lenior was traveling south on Red Hill Road when Spaulding backed out of a private driveway into the path of Jones’ motorcycle. The 2024 Honda crashed into the side of Spaulding’s 2016 Chevrolet automobile and came to rest in the road. Jones, 57, was pronounced dead at an area hospital.
Jones was traveling the speed limit at the time of the crash, the report said. The Honda was demolished, and the automobile sustained approximately $2,000 in damages.
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