Ashley Monroe, in yellow jumpsuit, cries during her sentencing as Erika Glatz, in gray, speaks at the dais. Monroe killed Glatz”s husband and another man in a drunk driving crash (WILX/YouTube)
A mother from Michigan faces a long prison sentence after driving her car into a group of pedestrians, tragically killing two and injuring 14 others as they were on their way to a park. This incident turned what was meant to be a joyful day into a devastating event.
Ashley Monroe, aged 36, has received a prison term ranging from 30 to 60 years following the crash that occurred in May 2024 in Watertown Township, roughly 15 miles from Lansing. Monroe entered a no-contest plea to charges of second-degree murder and multiple counts of driving under the influence, resulting in serious injuries.
The victims, all belonging to the same extended family, were en route from a home to a nearby park—a familiar journey for them—when Monroe’s vehicle suddenly veered into their path, causing catastrophic harm.
At the time of the accident, Monroe, who was pregnant and is now a mother of five, had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.183, significantly exceeding the legal threshold. Authorities also discovered a nearly empty bottle of Crown Royal and two bottles of antidepressants in her possession.
During a sentencing hearing that lasted over two hours, family members of the deceased—30-year-old firefighter Johnathan Esch and his brother-in-law, 42-year-old Daniel Harris—expressed their profound grief and the lasting impact of the loss on their lives.
“Ashley, you made me a 28-year-old widow,” shared Erika Glatz, Esch’s wife, during the emotional court proceedings, as reported by local NBC affiliate WILX, while Monroe, visibly affected, wiped away tears.
Glatz said she would have understood if Monroe had made a mistake.
“But, Ashley, this was not a mistake,” Glatz said. “You chose to drink while pregnant. You chose to drive. And perhaps most vile of all, you chose to run over an entire family and flee.”
Esch’s mother also spoke.
“Make no mistake, what you did was murder. You are a murderer,” Dee Esch sneered.
Monroe did not make a statement but her attorney said she was remorseful.
Circuit Judge Cori Barkman said the impact of the incident is far and wide.
“This family is going to have to live with memories of this terrible tragedy for the rest of their lives,” Barkman said, per the Lansing State Journal.
As Law&Crime previously reported, the incident happened shortly before 6:30 p.m. May 18, 2024, on South Wacousta Road near Corrison Road. After crashing into the victims, Monroe drove away before Clinton County Sheriff’s deputies stopped her about three minutes later. Her car had heavy front end damage and cops found hair, blood and tissue belonging to the victims, said assistant prosecutor Debra Martinez.
Esch and Harris died at the scene. Paramedics rushed the 14 other victims, ranging in age from 2 to 61, to the hospital. Nine suffered serious injuries, deputies said.
Monroe is a mother of five children, who at the time of the crash were ages 13, 11, 7 and 1, and delivered another while she was in jail. She worked at the Michigan secretary of state’s office for about a year and a half, her attorney said.
