Oregon State Police (OSP) reported on Friday that Desiree Danielle Johnson, 35, was arrested by the Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force (FCRFTF) in Pinellas Park, Florida, on a nationwide felony warrant out of Klamath County, Ore. related to a fatal crash on Highway 97 near milepost 174 on February 29, 2024.
Oregon State Police requested the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service in apprehending Johnson, who failed to appear for court. Charges stemming from the 2024 crash include criminally negligent homicide, second-degree assault, and reckless driving.
Johnson is being held at the Pinellas County Jail awaiting extradition to Oregon.
The apprehension is related to a two-vehicle crash that occurred on Feb. 29, 2024 when OSP responded to Highway 97 near mile post 174 in Klamath County.
OSP says its preliminary investigation indicated a southbound Peterbilt commercial motor vehicle (CMV) and trailer, operated by Johnson, 34, of St. Petersburg, Fla., when it lost control and jackknifed in the roadway.
The Peterbilt spun and crossed into the path of a northbound Honda Pilot, operated by Elise Adair Farrens, 37, of La Pine, where the Honda struck the CMV trailer.
Farrens was declared deceased at the scene. A passenger in the Honda, Daviana Marie Trussell, 23, of La Pine, was transported to the hospital with critical injuries. Trussell, who was pregnant, tragically suffered the loss of her child due to injuries sustained during the crash.
Johnson reportedly suffered minor injuries.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
