Ashley Porter was making her daily morning commute when her life was cut short by an impaired driver.

Porter was traveling on Lovers Lane on the morning of July 24, 2024, to her job as a registered medical assistant at Commonwealth Pain and Spine Center when her car was struck head-on by a truck driven by a man who had five illegal drugs in his system and other drugs in his possession.

That man, Ryan Taylor Bagwell, crossed over into Porter’s lane of traffic and made no effort to brake, according to court records, and Porter, 40, was unable to avoid the collision and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Bagwell, 32, was sentenced Tuesday in Warren Circuit Court to 23 years in prison after previously pleading guilty to charges of vehicular homicide, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence (fourth offense or greater), tampering with physical evidence and first-degree possession of a controlled substance.

A plea agreement Bagwell entered into with the Warren County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office recommended a 30-year sentence, with Bagwell to serve the sentences for each of the four criminal counts consecutively.

At the end of a 90-minute sentencing hearing, Warren Circuit Judge John Grise directed Bagwell to serve the sentences for vehicular homicide and DUI consecutively, for a total term of 23 years, while serving the drug possession and tampering charges concurrently with the other counts.

Warren County Commonwealth’s Attorney Kori Beck Bumgarner argued for a sentence that reflected the serious nature of Bagwell’s crimes and took into account four DUI convictions that he earned in four other states prior to the 2024 fatality.

“I believe he is a danger to any community he is in,” Bumgarner said. “He has a lengthy history of driving while he’s impaired.”

Bagwell read from a written statement in which he expressed remorse to Porter’s family and said this hearing was day of accountability for him.

“I wish I could take back the hands of time and change everything about that day, I never meant any evil or malice nor did I have any intention,” Bagwell said, addressing Porter’s surviving family. “For all the haeartache, pain and suffering I’ve caused I can’t forgive myself and I don’t expect you to and I certainly can’t ask you to do so. You have every right to hate me and wish I was dead.”

Several of Porter’s surviving family and friends in the courtroom wore purple T-shirts bearing her picture and the message “Justice for Ashley.”

Porter’s mother, Vicki Withrow Franklin, was called as a witness by Bumgarner to read a victim impact statement, but decided to forego her written remarks and instead deliver a blistering rebuke to Bagwell.

“I will never forgive you, no matter what you say or do…you jumped in that truck and you took a life, I don’t know how you stand it,” Franklin said. “I’m 63 and the odds of me living 20 more years to be around for (Porter’s daughters) are slim and none because my heart is so doggone broken. You are a mencae to society and you should be incarcerated for as long as the law will allow.”

Porter’s two daughters, Caroline and Olivia Porter, also addressed the court, with Olivia acknowledging that she attempted suicide after losing her mother, who she described as a “bold, caring and beautiful woman.”

Caroline Porter also spoke of the family’s ongoing struggles to navigate life without their loved one.

“Our house feels different now, quieter, there’s an empty seat on the couch and an emptiness in our heart that never goes away,” said Caroline Porter.

Bagwell’s sister, Andrea Wilson, said in court Tuesday that Ryan Bagwell struggled with addiction that reached a “true bottom” with the fatal crash and his imprisonment.

“When I speak to him, I hear accountability, grieef, remorse and an understanding of the harm he has caused that can never be undone,” Wilson said.

Ahead of Tuesday’s hearing, Bagwell’s attorney, Alan Simpson, filed a motion in which he argued for Bagwell to receive a 16-year sentence.

In court, Simpson called the crash an “indescribable tragedy” while arguing that 16 years was sufficient time for punishment and deterrence and that Bagwell has accepted responsibility for his actions.

Bagwell had been charged with a more serious count of murder, which was reduced to vehicular homicide through the plea agreement.

Had the case gone to trial on the murder count, though, Bagwell faced a possible life sentence if he had been convicted.

“Ultimately, justice does not mean taking an eye for an eye, justice is truly about what is right and what is just for all concerned,” Simpson said.

y’s hearing, Bagwell’s attorney, Alan Simpson, filed a motion for a 16-year sentence, arguing that 16 years was sufficient for punishment and deterrence and that Bagwell accepted responsibility for his actions.