A Springfield man with a history of DWI convictions who admitted he was driving while intoxicated in an accident that killed one of his passengers was sentenced to serve eight years in a Missouri prison on Monday, June 17.
Isaac Andrew Johnston, 40, pleaded guilty to one count of felony driving while intoxicated causing the death of another, one felony count of driving while intoxicated causing physical injury and one count of misdemeanor driving while intoxicated.
The passenger who died was Lana K. Reed, 51.
The fatal crash happened around 11:30 p.m. on July 9, 2022.
Three months after the crash that killed Reed, Johnston was again arrested for driving while intoxicated and driving while his license was revoked.
Before announcing Johnston's sentence, Greene County Circuit Judge Jerry Harmison reminded Johnston of the facts of the case: that Johnston was driving 68 miles per hour in a 30 miles per hour speed zone on the night of the fatal crash, that Johnston’s blood alcohol content was 0.134%, and that a passenger in Johnston’s vehicle is dead and another passenger was seriously injured.
“These cases are difficult because you are with people you care about,” Harmison said, “but because of your conduct, they are dead or seriously injured. …
“You are not entitled to probation, in my opinion” the judge said.
Johnston has been in jail for 244 days and will get credit for time served as part of his prison sentence.
Prosecutor reads letters from victims
In court Monday, Greene County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Zachary McFarland read a letter from Reed’s daughter, Lindsey.
In her victim impact statement, Lindsey described her mother as loving, kind, beautiful and caring. Lindsey lamented never getting to go on trips with her mother again, never hearing her laugh and never hearing her mom say, “I love you” again.
Lindsey called Johnston’s actions “heinous and irresponsible” and wrote in her letter that Johnston has shown no remorse; he lied to avoid responsibility and then got another DWI while the deadly crash was being investigated.
McFarland also read a letter from the passenger who was in the backseat of Johnston’s vehicle the night Reed was killed.
This person wrote that he suffers from a back injury and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and is in therapy.
“Please hear me, Judge,” this person wrote. “I fear for my life if he gets out.”
In the police report, the investigating officer wrote that Johnston had been “harassing and threatening the family” of the person who was in the backseat of Johnston’s car that night.
Defense attorney: ‘Of course he feels terrible’
McFarland also described in court some events that led up to the fatal crash and showed photos from the scene — including one photo of Johnston in the driver’s seat.
McFarland said Johnston initially provided fake identification to police and later claimed that Reed was driving.
Johnston’s public defender, Jeffery Wood, said it’s not true that Johnston doesn’t care or is not remorseful.
“Of course he feels terrible,” Wood said, adding that all three people in Johnston’s car that night were intoxicated. But Johnston “took it upon himself” to drive.
“That was not a good decision,” Wood said.
Johnston also addressed the court, saying he hopes no one else has to lose someone because of alcohol.
“I’m sorry for what happened to Ms. Reed,” he said. “I loved my girlfriend Lana Reed very much.”
What led to the fatal three-car crash
Johnston was driving his 2000 Chevrolet Monte Carlo south on Grant Avenue on a summer night in 2022. According to police, the car entered the center lane to pass a 2014 Nissan Altima.
The Monte Carlo then collided head-on with a northbound 2005 Volkswagen Touareg SUV.
The impact between the Monte Carlo and the Touareg caused both vehicles to spin, and the Monte Carlo then collided with the Nissan, which ran off the road.
Johnston and two of his passengers were taken by ambulance to a Springfield hospital, where Reed died.
Three months after Reed was killed while he was at the wheel, Johnston was again arrested for DWI on Oct. 16, 2022, as police continued investigating the accident that killed Reed.
Johnston was charged on Oct. 16, 2023, 15 months after the fatal accident, and exactly 12 months after another arrest for DWI.
