Kentucky woman convicted of DUI deaths to appear in court this week

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The death of the two men killed in a 2006 DUI crash haunts Tammy Cantrell-Williams.

She recalls that devastating night that claimed her 20-year-old son Justin and his friend and what the police said about the drunk driver.

"Driving over a hundred miles per hour," said Cantrell-Williams, adding that the driver's blood alcohol content was three times Kentucky's legal limit.

The biggest nightmare for Cantrell-Williams is the fact that Rebecca Johnson escaped prison time, despite being convicted in the DUI killing, trafficking drugs like meth and a slew of other crimes.

But after 15 years that could all change due to a probation violation, according to court records.

"She continues to break her probation," said Cantrell-Williams.

"In the beginning of Justin's case, the prosecutor told me, she's white, she's 21 and she's pretty," said Cantrell-Williams. "She'll probably never go to prison. So be it, I guess he's right."

According to court documents, prosecutors filed to revoke Johnson's probation after failing to complete her treatment for substance abuse in July and using someone else's urine for a drug screening.

"She's sentenced to rehab and calls a taxi, and she leaves. What more can they do to satisfy her needs?" said Cantrell-Williams, who over the years has seen Johnson through felony drug and weapon charge convictions.

In 2018, Johnson pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. The crime was amended from ten years in prison to three, to five years on probation with a plea agreement.

This all occurring after LMPD lost the gun — a crucial piece of evidence — by mislabeling it and selling it at an auction.

"It's just obvious that she really needs to be in prison," said Cantrell-Williams.

Though part of the hesitation is that Johnson suffered a traumatic brain injury in the 2006 crash, Cantrell-Williams hopes the court will listen.

Johnson is scheduled to appear back in court Thursday afternoon for a revocation hearing in Oldham County.

She also has a probation hearing in Louisville next month.

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