FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: March 10, 2023
Via the County of Henderson, Rachel B. Masts, States Attorney
On October 18, 2022, the Illinois State Police responded to a fatal traffic crash on United States Route 34 on the Great River Bridge in Henderson County, Illinois. Pearson J. Franklin and Andrew S. Whitcomb were maintenance workers at the time. Franklin and Whitcomb were outside of their vehicles and were pedestrians in the right lane of traffic within a temporary maintenance zone. Emily R. Johnson was traveling in her vehicle on United States Route 34 in the right driving lane. Johnson failed to reduce speed or yield to the maintenance zone and struck both pedestrians causing the death of Franklin and Whitcomb.
To avoid any appearance of impropriety or conflict, I requested that the Appellate Prosecutor’s Office be appointed to handle the prosecution of Emily R. Johnson. Special Prosecutor Brian J. Towne has been assigned the case. Johnson has been charged with the following:
In cases involving Reckless Homicide in which the defendant caused the deaths of 2 or more persons as part of a single course of conduct and was driving in a construction or maintenance zone, the penalty is a Class 2 Felony, for which a person, if sentenced to a term of imprisonment, shall be sentenced to a term of not less than 6 years and not more than 28 years. A person convicted of or pleads guilty to Aggravated Unlawful Use of an Electronic Communication Device, if sentenced to a term of imprisonment, shall be sentenced to the Department of Corrections for a period of not less than 1 year and not more than 3 years.
The defendant’s bail bond was set in the amount of $150,000 at 10% to apply. The defendant posted bond. The defendant’s next court appearance is set for May 3, 2023.
No additional information will be released at this time.
The public is reminded that all persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Post comments (0)