SALEM, Va. – UPDATE:
10 News acquired the police records and they show Jeremy Williams attempted to leave the dinner at Applebee’s and Gearhart followed him outside.
Gearhart stood behind the vehicle to stop Williams and then moved to the front.
This is when Williams allegedly tried to pull off hitting Gearhart and killing the 32-year-old mother.
Court records show Williams then pulled into the neighboring KFC and called 911.
He did not attempt to flee the scene.
Court records also show there were witnesses to the incident who said Gearhart had her hands up to stop Williams and they saw Williams allegedly bump Gearhart with his vehicle.
When emergency crews arrived, they pronounced Gearhart dead at the scene.
Police arrested Williams and charged him with second-degree murder, and he is currently being held at the Salem-Roanoke County Jail without bond. He is set to be in court February 2, 2025.
On social media, posts have been flooding in mourning the death of Gearhart.
Many of the posts mention how Gearhart was a caring person and they could not believe this could happen.
The victim’s family has made a GoFundMe page for her children. You can donate here.
UPDATE:
A man has been arrested in connection with an incident that occurred on Saturday night that involved a woman being struck and killed by a vehicle, Salem Police Department said.
Authorities identified the suspect as 30-year-old Jeremy Williams. He was later found to have a child with the victim.
ORIGINAL STORY:
A woman died after she was struck by a vehicle in a parking lot, according to a Salem city spokesperson.
Salem police responded to the 1800 block of W. Main Street, which contains several restaurants and businesses, just after 8:30 p.m.
Officers and rescue personnel found 32-year-old Ashley Gearheart with life-threatening injuries. She was later pronounced dead.
Police have identified the driver of the vehicle in question, and the case remains under active investigation, the spokesperson said.
We will continue to update this story as more details become available.