Support the Johnson Family After a Tragic Accident

This fundraising effort is to provide support to The Johnson Family as they navigate the physical, emotional, and financial impacts of a debilitating car accident caused by an uninsured drunk driver.

The Johnson Family are our brother- and sister-in-law, Eugene and Janet Johnson of Tacoma, WA, and their three children.

The Day of the Accident

On August 4th, 2024, The Johnson Family drove from Tacoma to Seattle to attend a Seattle Mariners baseball game. Eugene drove in one vehicle with their son and neighborhood friend. Janet drove in a separate vehicle with their two daughters.

The family had a wonderful time watching the Seattle Mariners game, eating hot dogs and ice cream, and playing at the stadium playground.

When the game ended, the family drove back home to Tacoma, with Eugene and the boys in the first vehicle, and Janet and the girls in the second vehicle behind them. They decided to take back roads to avoid the traffic.

The family was only five minutes away from their home when tragedy struck. As they drove through a quiet residential neighborhood, a drunk driver barreled down a residential street running perpendicular to where the family was driving and violently collided with Eugene's vehicle on the driver's side. The force of the impact caused Eugene's vehicle to roll over and land on its side.

Janet and her two daughters watched the collision from their vehicle. Janet immediately jumped out of her car and focused on removing the two children from the vehicle.

By the grace of God, their 7-year-old son and son's 7-year-old neighborhood friend were conscious. Their son thought he was bleeding because he had a substantial amount of blood on him. As Janet surveyed the scene, she realized that all the blood was from Eugene's injuries, not the children’s' injuries. Janet removed the children from the vehicle and then shifted her focus to Eugene.

Eugene lost consciousness around the moment he was impacted by the drunk driver. When he regained consciousness, he was still in the vehicle, and he remembers looking at his arm bent in a U-shape. Janet tried to help Eugene out of the vehicle, but his feet were crushed, and he couldn't stand up.

Fortunately for the family, many compassionate people stopped their cars to assist them. Three men removed Eugene's windshield and lifted him out of the vehicle and onto the ground.

As these events unfolded, Eugene and Janet's two daughters were on the side of the road, trying to process what they were witnessing. Their younger daughter was crying hysterically. Their older daughter was shocked, but calm and helping in any way she could.

The drunk driver sustained no significant injuries in the collision. According to witnesses at the scene, her only concern after the accident was locating her cell phone. Witnesses also told police that, prior to this collision, the drunk driver crashed into another vehicle and proceeded to chase the vehicle. It was during this pursuit that the drunk driver collided with Eugene’s vehicle.

The first responders arrived and immediately took Eugene to the ER at Harborview. Their son and his friend were examined at the scene and fortunately, they only sustained minor physical injuries.

Eugene's Injuries

This tragic accident resulted in Eugene sustaining multiple life-altering injuries. He has two broken feet, one broken arm, a fractured disk in his back, and a fractured nose.

As of the date of this writing, Eugene has been in the Harborview Medical Center for 27 DAYS. He is expected to remain in the hospital for a total of four weeks.

During the last 27 days, Eugene has endured SIX surgeries, and he is expected to need at least one more surgery in the coming months.

After Eugene is discharged from the hospital, he will be in rehabilitation for a long time. He will start in a wheelchair, then graduate to a walker, and finally use crutches as he works hard to regain his strength and ability to walk.

The Drunk Driver

In stark contrast to Eugene's fate, the drunk driver sustained no significant injuries in the collision. She was arrested at the scene. She spent one night in jail and was released the following day.

To the best of our knowledge, the drunk driver was released by the court with no bail and her next court date will be held 6-8 months from now.

It's unlikely the family will ever recover one dollar from the drunk driver. She was uninsured at the time of the accident. The drunk driver's lack of ties to the community makes our outlook to recover monetary damages even bleaker.

To sum it up, while Eugene lays in a hospital bed in excruciating pain, in and out of surgery, and with limited paths through which to seek justice for him and his family, the drunk driver spends one night in jail and is now free to continue potentially drinking and driving around the Seattle-Tacoma area for a minimum of 6-8 months.

Fundraising Goals

The three goals of this fundraising effort are as follows:

1. Cover medical and rehabilitation expenses

Despite having health insurance, the family will be responsible for a percentage of Eugene’s medical expenses. After six surgeries, four weeks of hospitalization, an expected 6-12 months of rehabilitation and physical therapy, and purchasing medical equipment for the home, we expect Eugene’s medical expenses to be astronomical.

2. Bridge the lost income gap

Prior to this tragedy, Eugene worked as an HVAC Advisor. He uses ladders, walks inside attics, and moves around in crawl spaces as a part of his regular job responsibilities. He earned the only household income for the family of five. Eugene’s income stopped the moment the drunk driver hit him and his family. He is estimated to be unable to fully perform his job for 6-12 months. If Eugene can return to work sooner, he will be doing so in a reduced capacity. Consequently, he will work less hours and earn less income than he did prior to the accident.

Janet is a stay-at-home mom, raising their three children. In addition to her already busy schedule, she will serve as Eugene's caregiver when he returns home.

3. Continue working towards family goals

The drunk driver not only caused The Johnson Family irreversible physical and emotional damage but caused an immediate stop to the family's work towards their goals set years prior to this tragedy.

• The family was applying for a mortgage for their first home purchase in the days prior to the accident.

• Eugene and Janet's eldest child was excited to transfer to a new school this fall. The family believed this school was more suitable for her talents. Since this school charges tuition, the family must now decide if they can still afford to send her to this school as planned.

With your help, we can raise enough funds to keep The Johnson Family's goals on-track.

We're grateful for this opportunity to share our family's story with you. Any donation we receive, however large or small, will be greatly appreciated and used to help The Johnson Family on their path forward. Thank you all and God bless!