Warning: This article contains discussion of alcoholism which some readers may find distressing
A mom has spoken out to raise awareness after her partner and 20-month-old child were killed in a drink driving incident.
Four years ago, Janelle Jones lost her fiancé and baby daughter in a car crash. Chris Johnson had been driving his truck with daughter Addison Johnson inside when the pair drove off an embankment and into Little Walnut River in the Flint Hills region of Kansas.
It was later ascertained Johnson had been drinking – Jones revealing her partner was three times over the legal limit.
The crash took place on March 11, 2020 and it was only around a month later when Jones’ daughter’s body was discovered.
It later came out Johnson had drunk nearly 30 beers before getting behind the wheel with their child.
Jones has spoken out about her partner’s alcoholism on her social media, noting how ‘loving a drug addict or an active alcoholic is the hardest thing you will ever do’.
“Watching someone you love, who has fought so hard to beat addiction, throw everything away and sink back into a life that will most likely lead to jail or death, is one of the hardest things you will ever do,” she wrote in a Facebook post shared in August earlier this year.
In an interview with KWCH, Jones explained her partner and daughter ‘had a close, tight bond’ and she ‘didn’t ever think anything could come between that’ but ultimately Johnson’s addiction took ‘control’.
Janelle Jones speaks out to raise awareness of the dangers of drink driving (Facebook/ Janelle Jones)
Jones has been left with ‘a lot of anger’ and ‘a lot of grief,’ she tells KSN.
She told the outlet: “As a mom, I go to Walmart, and I get triggered by the baby section, or a song, or even just seeing other people’s little kids because I’m never going to have the chance to have mine back.”
Jones continues to speak out about losing her partner and child in the hopes of raising awareness and helping people make better choices.
“Addi didn’t have a choice, but when people go out and celebrate, they get that opportunity to make that right choice to not drink and drive,” she continued. “This is something that changes your life forever.”
Jones urges people to ‘have that plan to know how you’re going to make it home safely’ in place before you go out and celebrate as alcohol can ‘take over’ your ‘actions, thinking’ and ‘speaking’ and you can end up not thinking ‘about what you’re doing’ or ‘what it could cost’.
Addison was 20 months old (Facebook/ Janelle Jones)
Jones added: “I am sure there is any family member, any friend, that would rather give you a ride after you’ve been out and had too much to drink than never have to deal with the fact that maybe we lost a life.
“[…] This isn’t something that anybody wants to put anyone through; it’s not something that they might be able to go through themselves.”
Jones also speaks out about her story in a bid to raise money for nonprofit DUI Victims Center of Kansas which supports those affected by ‘impaired driving’.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact The Compassionate Friends on (877) 969-0010.
If you’ve been affected by addiction and want to speak to someone in confidence, you can call American Addiction Centers on (888) 324-0595, available 24/7, or contact them through their website.
