ST. GEORGE — Nearly four years after a rollover crash left one woman dead on Cedar Mountain, a Kane County man has been charged with a felony in relation to the incident.
On Tuesday, Ashley R. Pyne, 51, of Duck Creek, was formally charged with automobile homicide, a second-degree felony, according to court documents filed by the Kane County Attorney’s Office.
The case was filed following a rollover crash reported Sept. 11, 2020, in the Meadow View Estates subdivision on Cedar Mountain, according to a press release issued by the Kane County Sheriff’s Office at the time of the crash.
On the night of the crash, Pyne was driving an all-terrain vehicle with his wife, 40-year-old Amy Joelle Knowlton, on the back, and they were reportedly returning home from a party. The state alleges that Pyne was speeding along Rim Road when he took a sharp curve too fast and struck a ditch, which sent the ATV into a rollover.
Knowlton, a mother of three, was thrown from the ATV and pronounced dead by responding emergency personnel. Pyne was transported to Cedar City Hospital in Iron County for medical care.
Charging documents revealed that Pyne was reportedly drinking alcohol at the party prior to the crash. And test results indicated he had a blood alcohol level of 0.16 — more than three times the legal limit.
Nearly four years passed before a case was filed.
Kane County Attorney Robert Van Dyke told St. George News he was unable to provide further information on the case since the charges are still pending. Additional details may be released as the case moves forward, he added.
An initial appearance has been scheduled for June 27 in the 6th District Court in Kanab. The defendant is being represented by Defense Attorney Douglas Terry.
This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
St. George News Senior Reporter Mori Kessler contributed to this report.
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