Lobbyist Wife of WH Official Dies in Bizarre Car Fire
- Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:04pm by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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A former Congressional aide, current energy lobbyist, and wife of a White House Congressional liaison died in a car fire in southeast Washington, D.C. It’s a case that has investigators somewhat puzzled.
Ashley Turton was found dead in a burning car inside her garage after fire fighters responded early Monday morning. D.C. fire department spokesman Pete Piringer says firefighters were called to a rowhouse and found a car engulfed in flames in a garage behind the residence. While they were initially told everyone at the residence was accounted for, they eventually discovered Turton’s body in the car.
“It had heavy smoke and fire conditions in a garage—an attached garage of a 2 and ½ story rowhouse,” Piringer said. “The homeowner initially indicated that everyone in the house was accounted for. Firefighters were able to quickly knock down the bulk of the fire during the firefighting operation, but they did find an adult occupant of the vehicle [in the garage] deceased.”
According to Piringer, some “unusual circumstances” surround the incident.
“The leading theory is accidental [that] the car crashed through the garage doors and…was found on fire in the garage area,” he said. “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.”
Progress Energy, the company Turton worked for as a lobbyist, confirmed in a statement Monday that she had died. Mike Hughes, a spokesman for the Raleigh, N.C.-based company, said co-workers are devastated to hear of Turton’s death.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with her husband and family,” he told Politico. “Ashley was just an extremely knowledgeable person and a friend to many people. She will be sorely missed.”
Turton’s death comes on the same day Progress Energy announced a merger with Duke Energy, a move that would create the country’s largest utility company, Hughes added. He said Turton would have played a key role on Capitol Hill discussing the merger.
Turton joined the company in 2007 after serving as chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro. Before that she served as an aide for former Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-MO).
DeLauro talked briefly about the death on Monday at an event joining in the President’s moment of silence for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) and lamenting hateful political rhetoric and “vitriol”:
She and her husband, the White House’s deputy director of legislative affairs for the House, had three children.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Comments (98)
1accord
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 4:27pmWhole lot of crazy going on. Dead folks tell no tales of insider stuff.
Report Post »cosack
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 9:13pmsacrficial lambs. for the left to keep pushing there agenda…..isnt one of there rules “by any means possible”
( just thought i throw in one more unsubstantial conclusion)
Report Post »Bullion Luminary
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 4:23pmThis is weird, slow burn but she didn’t get out?? as if she was knocked out and the car set on fire…Well After the guy put in the trash, the Rep. in Az., and now this ex-aide. What is next…I certainly hope the TV personalities have proper and adequate securities details, left and right political pundits.
Report Post »GodfatherofBlog
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 4:22pmI can just see the Left Wing Blogs:
Report Post »NEWS FLASH-Sara Palin seen in vicinity of fire; could be possible suspect and a Progressive eye witness claims that George Bush was driving the get away car~!!!
SilentReader
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 4:21pmI’ll wait to make my comment on this story.
Report Post »Bullion Luminary
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 4:17pmStrange days have found us….Again…
Report Post »wilmo
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 4:10pmAnother tragedy that will likely be blamed on the Tea Party.
Report Post »jeromeGman
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 4:02pmThe arizona sheriff ( Dupa Yash- Polish -for Dumb Ass ) will blame the Tea Party for this.
Report Post »SingerGuy
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 4:01pmI’m not going to let my mind jump to any conclusions on this. Accidents definitely happen and this could simply be that. I am curious whether the car was in Park, Reverse or Drive as it might give an indication of what she was doing as a driver when the fire broke out, but even that doesn’t indicate WHY the fire started.
Report Post »iaintdaone
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:58pmfirst the ex bush aide now this what is going on
Report Post »Bigbird1960
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:58pmHey Salvawhor..How would you like to come over for a barbecue. Im cooking pig..PIG
Report Post »salvawhoray
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:50pmI’m sure her last words were “It Burns, It Burns”.
Report Post »runninonempty
Posted on January 13, 2011 at 11:26amThat is a repulsive statement.
Report Post »Carol
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:32pmI cannot get over the warped minds of many un-Americans!
Report Post »Elrik68
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:26pmEnough with jumping to conclusions, and turning someones death into a politcal joke. Come on people.. Where is our moral compass and compassion. The left have both feet in their mouths, and I thought that I could expect better judgement from Glenn’s fans..
Report Post »princetonprohet
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:36pmYou really should take a few deep breaths, bad things happen every single day in this country. It doesn’t mean that I think the her passing is a joke, it just means that I refuse to live my life on the defensive, under the assumption that I am doing something wrong. If I were as uptight as you appear to be, it would drive me crazy.
Report Post »beefjerky
Posted on January 11, 2011 at 6:54amDont tell me to shut up.
Report Post »Krutch
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:26pmAnother warning? Prayers are going to overwhelm God these days. Maybe he will come down here and straighten us out. Lord knows it due.
Report Post »Chickweedtea
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:38pmI think God would like that kind of change. ;)
Report Post »Sgt.Crust
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 4:34pmAmen
Report Post »princetonprohet
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:24pmIt‘s Sarah Palin’s fault! She published an instruction booklet on how to make a campfire and clearly set someone off that was already mentally ill.
Report Post »Capt_Spalding
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:22pmSarah Palin and George Bush ….. and this lady was an energy lobbyist…. anyone else connecting the dots?!
Report Post »I tell you one thing… I ABSOLUTELY blame Sarah Palin for all this snow since she talks about Alaska all the time!!
82dAirborne
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 4:03pmYep. She put the snowstorm crosshairs on Missouri and it is now snowing like crazy!! Come to think of it: I din’t think that I have ever heard Sarah deny that she is a witch………… Just sayin’!!!!
Report Post »DisillusionedDaily
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 7:04pm82nd — Don’t you know that it is the fault of conservatives, Sarah and Beck included, that the cold weather that is occurring is a right wing plot to subvert the Global Warming problem?
Report Post »Flannery
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 9:37pmPetroleum products, well then it had to be Haliburton and Cheney.
Report Post »JJ Coolay
Posted on January 12, 2011 at 5:37amOh my gosh! I’m totally seeing the connection now!
Sarah Palin is to blame!
Last Friday before leaving her house, her shoe was untied, so in stopping to tie her shoe, she was delayed in making her son’s lunch, who then missed the school bus, which in turn made the school prinicipal irate. He then called his wife, ranting, who then called her sister who is the mother of the girl whose ex boyfriend use to be the roommate of the best friend of the brother of the shooter. So yes.. total connection!!! How did we miss this before?
That’s about how freakin absurd the blame game is getting.
Report Post »texanpatriot
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:22pmThere have been unsubstantiated rumors that Gearge W Bush was seen in the neighborhood with Glen Beck.
Report Post »It is truly a tragedy and so is the crap reporting that comes with many stories where there is a slant to blame anyone conservative.
I am still trying to get over Sheriff Demplewit of Puma County in AZ who had a feeling it must be the conservative because all of the Democrats are good guys.
Devil Dog 7175
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:43pmAnd you dare doubt Sheriff Dimwit???
Report Post »snowleopard3200 {cat folk art}
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:50pm@Devil Dog
I like the new name for the Sheriff. Usually we just say Sheriff Who???
Report Post »Cherished Emblems
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:17pmGod bless the family.
Report Post »Bermuda Onion
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:17pmGeorge Bush has his hands in everything.
Report Post »Damocracy
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:16pmits truly sad when a tragedy like the one in arizona,,has to be fuel for political agendas,,,I am sorry to hear about this poor lady today,,,may god take her into his loving arms.
Report Post »IndyGuy
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:16pmSounds fishy…
Report Post »GeauxAlready
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:23pmI thought it smelled like Obama…………..
Report Post »Ellie
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:32pmTruly fishy….
There is no telling what could be the cause of this (suicide? murder?) but if it is a murder then it is far more likely to have been triggered by an interpersonal relationship (husband/wife/love triangle) then anything political.
Report Post »82dAirborne
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:45pmOr even…. Wait for it……… A bizarre accident? Not every unusual occurrence has a sinister side to it!!
Prayers to the family and friends.
Report Post »APatriotFirst
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 4:13pmCould be nothing more than a fuel leak that they didn’t even know about ???
Report Post »be1776
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 4:36pmThis makes it even fishier:
http://www2.journalnow.com/news/2011/jan/10/duke-energy-buying-progress-energy-over-13-billion-ar-681581/
Report Post »ilovethiscountry
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 4:44pmIndyguy–I thought it sounded fishy also. I wonder what the investigation will turn up.
Report Post »Damocracy
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:14pmI sure hope the left dont blame sarah palin or Glenn for this after all the name of this site is the blaze,,and they might start to put two and two together,you know there might even need to be some gov regulation on this.
Report Post »snowleopard3200 {cat folk art}
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:42pmPlease do not tempt the government with any more idiotic ideas than they already have done or are pushing hell bent for endings of the country. This matter is just one more ‘justification’ of the need for ‘big brother and big sister’ in the lives of our nations people.
DC needs to wake up and understand the world has changed; we need true leadership of quality, not just quantity or survival, we need the leaders of the people to come forward and move forward.
Report Post »Taquoshi
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 5:21pmBest guess – for a car fire to spread that rapidly, the fuel line was damaged somehow or possibly the fuel pump. If gas was spayed onto the manifold or the catalytic converter, yeah, the fire could spread that fast. It hadn’t reached the gas tank, so I’m thinking fuel pump.
Report Post »scguitar
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:14pmThis was a tea partier, no doubt. Even thought there is no evidence as to who did it, it was definitely motivated by Beck and Palin.
Just wait, you will be seeing the above statement in every news blog out there within a day
Report Post »Taquoshi
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:30pmSC!!! You forgot Rush, George W. Bush, and Karl Rove. Their feelings will be hurt. I mean, really, can we have a good conspiracy without them?
Report Post »stacybernardslay
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:11pmSaw this earlier, interesting with the former staffers these days.
Report Post »BECK1SNUTS
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:10pmMore sad, sad news. Please pray for the family
Report Post »IndyGuy
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:19pmTu-rt-on…Tu-sc-on…Connection??? I’m sure the left will be making it soon…
Report Post »FIREDUDE
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:25pmBeckisnuts……..
You actually have a soft side and are not saying some DUMBASS comment like it is Becks fault or Palins fault
Report Post »GeauxAlready
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:26pmHere is the first clue in her murder case, she was chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro a known commie…………
snowleopard3200 {cat folk art}
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:26pmGod please help the wife and children through this time of loss and grief; aid them and let them be able to hold onto the cherished good memories of a husband, and father they shared as a family.
Report Post »snowleopard3200 {cat folk art}
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:29pmMy apologies, I mis-wrote, I thought it was the husband who perished; not the wife. This is one major mess up on my part. Please keep prayers going for all their family and especially the kids.
Report Post »Taquoshi
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:34pmWhat a tragedy, Thank God the children and the father were okay.
@ Firedude – if you look carefully at the first post, you will see that the “i” in BeckIsNuts is actually a numeral 1. It’s not the same person that you thought it was.
Report Post »snowleopard3200 {cat folk art}
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 3:40pm@Taquoshi
Interesting indeed; does this mean we now have a good hearted Beck-ite in addition to the one who rants all the time? Anyway to the Beck1snuts thanks for keeping this family in prayer; we need to also keep all families in the nation in prayer as well…so much hurting going on in all areas.
Report Post »APatriotFirst
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 4:11pmBECK1SNUTS is different than our BECKISNUTS
a number 1 instead of an i
Rampart
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 4:47pmIt’ll be interesting to learn what make/model of vehicle the victim was driving…
If Toyota, Obama can bilk *at least* $15 million more from them in fines and penalties!?! [Unless the vehicle was a Priius, in which case the victim will be heralded as a devout "Environmental Conservationist" while accident reports will be redacted such that the car model says "Camry"]
If GM, the US Gov’t and Unions can buy back stocks and eventual controlling interest after stock prices tank…Or maybe just offer up more taxpayer money in Tax Credits to entice the rest of us to purchase the potentially lethal auto.
Let the lefty spin begin…
Report Post »VanGrungy
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 4:50pmgood show BiN
====
Remember this story?
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/294548
Report Post »Package bomb possibly targeted Texas oil executive, woman injured
tower7femacamp
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 9:44pmSomething bad is going on
Report Post »Hitler purged his enemies before he fired up the ovens.
TAXLORDCOMETH
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 11:01pmFor those who know what is really going on — you connect the dots from this to AZ. A message is being sent.
Report Post »Sentinel Six
Posted on January 11, 2011 at 1:01amAnd here I thought we were done with all these mysterious deaths at the end of the Clinton Administration. Two that we know about so far, Bush’s aide and now this woman….. hmmm.
What was old is new again.
Report Post »brotherhiram
Posted on January 11, 2011 at 3:14pmI don’t know, wasn’t it last week that at least three small firebombs were sent arounf in the MD/DC area?
If there is no crisis to exploit let’s create one…
I may be cynical but I wouldn’t put this pass them…
Report Post »After all, look at this 22 year old, flag burning pot smoker (doesn’t sound like the picture of a member of the young republicans) nut job, he does what he does and by the way to a congresswoman who is actually pretty conservative compared to the beasts from California and the right is to blame….