Tacoma family hit by suspected DUI driver after Mariners game

Family hit by suspected DUI driver is now recovering

A Tacoma family was a few minutes from home when they were hit by a suspected DUI driver.

TACOMA, Wash. - Having undergone six surgeries and spending 27 days in the hospital, a Tacoma father of three is now recovering at home. Eugene Johnson’s injuries were all the result of a suspected impaired driver.

Investigators said the driver of a black Dodge Avenger slammed into Johnson’s 1995 red Ford 150 pickup truck while he was on his way home from a Mariners game on Aug. 4 near the intersection of SW Dash Point Road and 47th Ave SW.

The head-on collision, according to an official police report, forced both vehicles to flip.

"I actually don’t remember anything from the accident," said Eugene Johnson. "We’re just driving along and the next thing I know I’m waking up in the operating room."

The crash was witnessed by Johnson’s 12-year-old daughter, Sophie. She was riding with her mother Janet and her younger sister. They were in a separate car, driving behind her father.

"The first thing I saw was a black car just coming, kind of swerving," said Sophia Johnson. "When I looked, the truck had a lot of pieces everywhere. I saw my brother and his friend standing outside the car. They were crying."

The Johnsons' 7-year-old son, Joshua, and his friend sustained minor injuries. However, Eugene was unable to get out. Good Samaritans helped pull him from the vehicle before medics arrived.

"I just want to say thank you to those people, whoever they are," said Eugene from a makeshift hospital bed in his Tacoma living room.

Right now, he’s healing, "I had a broken forearm, both bones in the forearm. Broken feet, a broken nose and a broken back."

As for the red pickup truck he was driving, it was totaled.

"I’m glad everyone is alive, but that truck also had sentimental meaning and value," he said.

The truck once belonged to his grandfather, Thomas Lee Johnson Senior, who served as a sergeant in the military as a tank commander.

"Like his tanks, that truck was sturdy."

He believes the truck helped save his life and the lives of his two young passengers.

"If you look at the truck, it’s pretty much destroyed on one side," he said. "We were able to make it out alive. If we were in a smaller vehicle, you know, I probably wouldn’t be here. In some way, I feel like my grandfather was watching over us."

The family is sharing their story as part of their healing processes. They’re also hoping it makes people think twice before getting behind the wheel impaired.

The suspect in this case, a woman, was arrested for vehicular assault. The crash remains under investigation by Federal Way police.

"Just don’t do anything that could get you hurt or anybody else hurt or take anyone’s life away," said Sophia.

"It’s just a good reminder to not let any of these situations pass by because they can end up like this or worse," added Eugene.

The Johnsons told FOX 13 the crash is putting them in a financial pinch, as the woman who allegedly caused the crash, does not have car insurance. Eugene is also unable to work due to his injuries.

"I’m going to be out for at least three months," he said. "I’m nervous for me and my family as the soul bread winner."

They’ve since set up a GoFundMe account to help cover any expenses, including medical, and loss of work wages.