Anne Johnson
Chicago, IL — Anne Johnson, a 51-year old mother of 8 children, died last weekend after being hit by a car driven by 21-year old Dereknesha Brown, who was then driving while drunk. Brown is now facing charges including DUI and other misdemeanors after initially being accused of hit-and-run.
Johnson was walking along the streets on her way home around 12:50 a.m. on Saturday when she was suddenly hit by a black sedan. According to police, the driver fled the scene but surrendered less than an hour later at the Ogden District police station near where the incident happened.
Brown, who was the driver, resigtered 0.121 blood-alcohol level, beyond the legal limit of 0.8, according to police. She was charged with one felony count of aggravated DUI and misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence of alcohol, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to yield to a pedestrian and driving without a license.
However, during the bond hearing on Monday, Brown said that she called 911, parked her car near the scene, waited for ambulance to arrive, then went to a friend’s house to change clothes before going to the police station to turn herself in.
Brown was expected to be released after posting 10% of her $10,000 bail. Judge Arthur Wesley Willis justified the relatively low bond amount because of she didn’t have any criminal record and is cooperating with police.
“What we have here is a tragedy, that could have been avoided, because people drink and get behind the wheel,” Judge Willis said. “Do not think that I am not aware of the loss of life that occurred.”
Brown’s father, Lawndale community activist Derek Brown, was saddened by initial news reports that stated the crash was hit-and-run. He said he also wanted to reach out to Johnson’s family.
“[Dereknesha] is a young lady, and young people do make mistakes,” Derek Brown told Chicago Sun Times. “I want [Johnson’s] family to know that she and her family are very apologetic.”
Meanwhile, Johnson has left behind 6 sons and 2 daughters, with the youngest just 9-years old. She also leaves behind her husband, several grandchildren, and a pet dog named Sugar.
Her oldest child, Corderlo Robeson, described her as a “loving person” who wanted them to “be the best we could be,” he told CBS News. Now that her mother is gone, Robeson said they will continue pursuing to be the best they can be as what she always wanted.
“We’ve got to keep her memory going,” he said.