In the final days of April 2020, the news went public that Little Women: Atlanta star Ashely Ross – better known to fans and co-stars as Ms. Minnie – was pronounced dead after a traffic accident at 34 years old. Though the initial announcement from Ross' management team claimed that she was the victim of a fatal hit and run, that report was thereafter disputed. Now, the authorities in Atlanta have revealed the official crash report, which actually puts Ross in the wrong for the deadly collision.
Here's how the situation was explained, according to the South Fulton Police Department's crash report (via TMZ), which was put together based on eyewitness testimony on the night of the crash, as well as the report from the responding officer at the scene. Ashley Ross was reportedly driving southbound in the left-most lane down Old National Hwy – a four-lane highway, plus the turning lane – when she lost control of the vehicle, causing her to jerk the wheel to the right, which sent her temporarily off the road.
The report then states that Ashley Ross quickly veered left and shot back onto the road and into the opposite lanes of traffic. The Little Women: Atlanta star collided with the front of the other vehicle in the far left lane, and she once again left the highway as her car came to a stop near some trees on the side of the road. Ross was apparently still alive and unresponsive on the scene, but she was unfortunately pronounced dead at some point in the next 24 hours, with the official cause likely to be listed as "blunt force trauma."
The other driver in the fatal accident, who wasn't immediately identified, was not killed in the collision. However, the person seemingly did suffer injuries in the crash, and was transported to the hospital for complaints about pains.
Perhaps notably, the crash report noted that neither Ashley Ross nor the other driver were given drug or alcohol tests after the crash, which occurred in the evening around 11 p.m. That said, there was apparently enough evidence to rule that Ross was at fault for the accident.
Unless some surprise details are revealed soon, this may be the final word on Ashley Ross' death. According to the Fulton County Medical Examiner, no autopsy was performed on Ross, and there aren't any further reports on the way about the incident. The cause of death hasn't been 100% confirmed yet, but the aforementioned distinction will presumably be made official in the near future.
Ashley Ross' family will be giving the beloved Ms. Minnie a memorial on Saturday, May 9, at 1:30 p.m. ET. The plan is to livestream the event so that fans can view and pay their respects to the Lifetime star, and everyone is welcome to make donations to The Ms Minnie Memorial Fund that was set up in her name.
Following Ms Minnie's tragic death, Lifetime put together a supercut showcasing many of Ashley Ross' biggest moments from Little Women: Atlanta over the years, both on the funny and the tearful side. Oh, and it's also been reported that Ross' co-stars aim to honor their late friend whenever the show returns for Season 6, though it's not clear when that will be just yet. For now, check out the clip below.
We here at CinemaBlend send our thoughts and condolences to the family and friends of Ashley Ross during their time of mourning. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more details about when Little Women: Atlanta Season 6 will make its way to Lifetime's schedule.
