KLAMATH COUNTY, Ore. — Nearly a year after failing to appear in court, a Florida truck driver has been arrested in connection with a 2024 fatal crash involving a semi-truck on Highway 97 that killed a La Pine woman.

Oregon State Police said 35-year-old Desiree Danielle Johnson of St. Petersburg, Florida, was taken into custody Friday by the Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force in Pinellas Park. A nationwide warrant had been issued for her arrest after she failed to appear for a pre-trial conference last year.

The charges stem from a Feb. 29, 2024 crash near milepost 174 on Highway 97 in northern Klamath County. According to investigators, Johnson was operating a southbound Peterbilt tractor-trailer during icy conditions when she lost control of the semi, causing it to jackknife and spin into the northbound lanes.

The trailer crossed into the path of a Honda Pilot driven by 37-year-old Elise Adair Farrens of La Pine. The SUV struck the semi’s trailer. Farrens was pronounced dead at the scene.

A passenger in the Honda, 23-year-old Daviana Marie Trussell of La Pine, was critically injured. She was 26 weeks pregnant at the time and tragically lost her unborn child as a result of injuries sustained in the crash. Johnson reportedly suffered minor injuries.

An indictment alleges Johnson was driving recklessly in a snowstorm without chains and without the necessary experience at the time of the crash. She has been charged with criminally negligent homicide, second-degree assault, and reckless driving.

Johnson pleaded not guilty to the charges before failing to appear in court. She is currently being held at the Pinellas County Jail in Florida and is awaiting extradition to Oregon.

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