Driver admits to crash that left Dust Devils player with brain injury
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Ashante Q. Sanders-Jackson pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular assault.
- Foster is recovering from a traumatic brain injury and photos show him in a wheelchair.
- Prosecutors plan to ask for two years.
A 22-year-old woman admitted this week to being drunk when she caused a Richland wreck that seriously hurt a Tri-City Dust Devils player.
Ashante Q. Sanders-Jackson pleaded guilty Wednesday in Benton County Superior Court to two counts of vehicular assault in connection to the violent September 2025 crash that injured outfielder Rio Foster and another woman.
Foster, 21, has been slowly recovering from a traumatic brain injury since the crash, needing to return to Georgia where his mother is caring for him.
Sanders-Jackson faces a longer sentence than normal because she also admitted to the aggravating factor of both passengers suffering serious injuries.
The Hermiston, Ore., woman has no previous criminal history and was facing a sentencing range of 12 to 14 months in prison.
But prosecutors plan to ask for two years, they said in court filings.
Her sentencing is scheduled for May 13.
Foster was in the front passenger seat of a Mercedes that was speeding on their way to a party about 2 a.m. after leaving a Richland tavern, according to court documents.
Sanders-Jackson lost control on a roundabout at Thayer Drive and clipped a fence, hit a curb and sheared through a utility pole before the car started flipping, according to court documents.
Foster and another passenger Chloe Sanders, 24, were not wearing seat belts and were thrown from the car.
Foster’s recovery
Foster was the Northwest League player of the month in August 2025 and named a spring breakout for the Los Angeles Angels organization. The outfielder started last season with the Dust Devils.
The night of the crash, the Dust Devils were playing the Hillsboro Hops at Gesa Stadium in Pasco, and Foster was credited with leading the team to victory with his hitting.
Pictures shared earlier this month on a GoFundMe post by his mother, Iris Cleveland, show Foster in a wheelchair with his head supported by a neck pillow.
“He got into the pool and enjoyed the swim,” Cleveland shared on April 9. “Thanks again for your prayers. He’s becoming more aware of his surroundings every day.”
She told the Tri-City Herald in October after the crash that she was thankful to everyone for their support and encouragement.
The Herald was not able to reach Cleveland this week.
“Rio is the most humble, kind and respectful young man and this is the most unfortunate circumstance,” Cleveland said in the GoFundMe after the crash. “He worked so hard to get to where he is today, and was on fire these past few weeks.”