Bay County Sheriff's Office, Florida
End of Watch Sunday, July 11, 1999
Add to My HeroesDon Carlton Johnson, Jr.
Deputy Sheriff Don Johnson was killed when his police motorcycle was struck head-on while he was escorting a funeral procession.
Deputy Johnson and the procession were heading westbound when three cars approached from the east. Deputy Johnson motioned for the cars to pull off of the roadway so that the procession could pass.
The first two cars began to pull off, but the third vehicle swerved into the middle of the road and struck Deputy Johnson head-on, causing him to flip into the windshield and over the top of the pickup truck. The impact was so severe that it knocked his helmet and gun belt off. The driver of the second car told officers that the pickup truck had been tailgating and attempting to pass her car for miles. The driver of the vehicle that struck Deputy Johnson was issued a traffic citation for an illegal lane change.
Deputy Johnson was transported to a local hospital where he died approximately two and a half hours later.
Deputy Johnson had served with the Bay County Sheriff's Office for eight years. Deputy Johnson is survived by his wife and two children, including a son who went on to become a uniformed officer with the Bay County Sheriff's Office.
A memorial in his honor sits on County Road 388 between Highway 77 and Highway 79.
Bio
- Age 36
- Tour 8 years
- Badge 504
Incident Details
- Cause Motorcycle crash
Most Recent Reflection
View all 47 ReflectionsDeputy Sheriff Johnson,
On today, the 25th anniversary of your death I would just like to say thank you for your service and sacrifice-not just as. Law Enforcement Officer but for our Country as well when you served with the USMC. And to your Family and loved ones, I wish to extend my deepest sympathy.
Semper Fi Devil Dog!
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