News / International
White House Official's Wife Found Dead in Burning Car
11 Jan 2011 at 10:31hrs | Views
Ashley Turton, a lobbyist and ex-Hill staffer whose husband, Dan Turton, is the White House's legislative liaison to the House of Representatives, was found dead in a burnt car inside a Capitol Hill garage this morning.
Ashley Turton had been a Washington lobbyist for North Carolina-based utility Progress Energy, and before that served as chief of staff to Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the veteran Democratic legislator. It hasn't been determined what happened yet:
Ashley Turton, whose husband, Dan, is the White House's deputy director of legislative affairs for the U.S. House, died in the early-morning incident in the garage behind 800 A Street, NE, friends, her employer and Congressional leadership aides said.
City fire and police units responded to the vicinity of the home at about 5 A.M. Monday, according to fire department spokesman Pete Piringer.
Authorities have not determined the exact cause of the crash or why the car caught fire. Neighbors say Ashley Turton was heading to airport for an early flight.
"The leading theory is accidental [that] the car crashed through the garage doors and…was found on fire in the garage area," Piringer said, adding that the incident is under joint investigation by the fire and police departments.
"There were some unusual circumstances – just the way the car was, low-speed, significant fire, things like that….For the most part, the fire was confined to the area of origin."
The White House hasn't commented.
Ashley Turton had been a Washington lobbyist for North Carolina-based utility Progress Energy, and before that served as chief of staff to Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the veteran Democratic legislator. It hasn't been determined what happened yet:
Ashley Turton, whose husband, Dan, is the White House's deputy director of legislative affairs for the U.S. House, died in the early-morning incident in the garage behind 800 A Street, NE, friends, her employer and Congressional leadership aides said.
City fire and police units responded to the vicinity of the home at about 5 A.M. Monday, according to fire department spokesman Pete Piringer.
Authorities have not determined the exact cause of the crash or why the car caught fire. Neighbors say Ashley Turton was heading to airport for an early flight.
"The leading theory is accidental [that] the car crashed through the garage doors and…was found on fire in the garage area," Piringer said, adding that the incident is under joint investigation by the fire and police departments.
"There were some unusual circumstances – just the way the car was, low-speed, significant fire, things like that….For the most part, the fire was confined to the area of origin."
The White House hasn't commented.
Source - Reuters
