Rebecca E. Owens was just weeks away from becoming a mother when a head-on crash on a Tennessee road took her life and that of her unborn baby. The 37-year-old was 37 weeks pregnant when her Chevrolet Trailblazer was struck by a pickup truck on Sunday afternoon, November 8, in Sevier County. What should have been the final days before welcoming her baby turned into a tragedy that claimed two lives.
The crash happened around 4:20 p.m. on Jones Cove Road. According to court documents, 21-year-old Kaden S. Johnson of Newport was driving a Chevrolet Silverado when his pickup allegedly crossed the center line and slammed into Owens’ SUV. The collision happened head-on, leaving both vehicles involved in the devastating wreck.
Owens was rushed to LeConte Medical Center, but doctors were unable to save her. She and her unborn baby were both pronounced dead at the hospital, according to court records. She was only three weeks away from her expected delivery date.
The circumstances surrounding the crash have also raised serious questions. When Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers spoke with Johnson after the collision, he allegedly could not remember why his truck had crossed into the opposite lane. Investigators also reported smelling alcohol on his breath.
Johnson reportedly failed multiple field sobriety tests administered by troopers following the crash. Those findings became part of the investigation into the circumstances that led to the deadly collision.
He was subsequently charged with two counts of vehicular homicide, driving under the influence and failure to maintain his lane. The charges include a first-offense DUI count. Johnson remained in custody on a $200,000 bond, according to the reported court information.
For Owens’ loved ones, the loss goes beyond the death of a family member. They are also mourning a baby who was so close to entering the world. There will be no first meeting between mother and child, no trip home from the hospital and no chance to watch the little one grow up.
The investigation has brought attention to the devastating consequences of a crash that happened in a matter of seconds. A woman preparing to give birth and her unborn child are gone, while the young driver faces serious criminal charges.
Rebecca Owens and her baby deserved the chance to share the life they were preparing for. Instead, their family is left grieving two lives lost in the same terrible crash.
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