NASHVILLE, TN - A suspect has been arrested following an investigation into the death of a woman believed to have died while allegedly "car surfing." The incident occurred earlier this year in Nashville on April 26, 2025.

31-year-old Ashley Sells was booked into the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office just after midnight on Tuesday and was released around 2:45 a.m. on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, after posting a $30,000 bond.

Detectives with the Metro Nashville Police Department Violent Crimes Division identified Sells as the driver of a Dodge Charger involved in the fatal incident. Police believe the vehicle was performing donuts in the early morning hours of April 26 while 31-year-old Shannon Kilgore was lying on the hood — an act commonly referred to as car surfing.

Video evidence obtained by authorities allegedly shows Kilgore falling from the top of the moving vehicle while Sells performed the dangerous stunt. Kilgore suffered a skull fracture during the fall, according to Metro Police.

Sells and her passenger transported Kilgore to Tristar Southern Hills Medical Center, where Kilgore died two days later. During initial interviews, Sells and her passenger reportedly told detectives that Kilgore had randomly blacked out during a girls' night out. Both were questioned at the hospital.

Sells has been charged with vehicular homicide and false reporting. Metro Police released details of her arrest on Wednesday, shortly after her release from jail.

National Data on Car Surfing Deaths

Several years ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) attempted to calculate the total number of deaths tied to car surfing. However, the figures proved difficult to track. According to the CDC, between 1990 and 2008, at least 58 deaths were attributed to car surfing, based on a review of newspaper articles across the country.

The CDC also identified at least 41 non-fatal injury cases involving individuals who were car surfing at the time of the incident. Most of the victims were males between the ages of 15 and 19. Additionally, the report found that approximately 75% of the accidents occurred in the Midwest and Southern United States, and 78% of the fatalities were due to head injuries.

Source(s): Metro Nashville Police, CDC

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