Klamath County, Oregon – A Florida woman has been taken into custody nearly a year after a fatal crash in southern Oregon that claimed one life and led to devastating injuries for another victim.
Authorities say Desiree Danielle Johnson, 35, of St. Petersburg, was arrested Friday in Pinellas Park on a nationwide felony warrant connected to the 2024 collision in Klamath County. The warrant includes charges of criminally negligent homicide, second-degree assault, and reckless driving. She is currently housed at the Pinellas County Jail and is awaiting extradition to Oregon.
The crash occurred on the morning of Feb. 29, 2024, along Highway 97 near milepost 174. According to investigators, Johnson was driving a southbound Peterbilt truck and trailer when she lost control of the vehicle. The semi-truck jackknifed across the roadway and spun into the northbound lane, directly into the path of an approaching Honda Pilot.
The Honda was driven by 37-year-old Elise Adair Farrens of La Pine. The SUV struck the trailer, and Farrens died as a result of the collision. A 23-year-old passenger from La Pine, who was pregnant at the time, suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported to a hospital for emergency care. She survived the crash, but the injuries led to the loss of her unborn child.
Read also: Staff illness shuts down elementary and middle schools across Klamath County
Law enforcement officials have not released additional details about the extradition timeline. The case continues to move forward as Johnson remains in custody in Florida, facing transfer to Oregon to answer the charges tied to the deadly highway crash.
