Woman who killed Las Vegas college student in wrong-way DUI crash could serve 2 years in prison

David Charns
·2 min read
15

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — An impaired driver who crossed a highway’s center line, killing a Las Vegas college student, has agreed to serve a minimum of two years in prison, her plea deal stipulates.

Taylor Madison was heading south on U.S. 95 toward Searchlight on Sept. 26, 2022, when she crashed into 18-year-old Katarina “Kat” Johnson’s car head-on, Nevada State Police troopers said. Johnson, a freshman UNLV student from Tennessee, was driving northbound on her way back from meeting friends for a bonfire, which ended up canceled.

Madison told the investigating trooper she thought she was drugged. The trooper noted he “could smell the strong odor” of alcohol coming from her, adding he found a “white powdery substance” and marijuana in her car, documents said.

Madison agreed to plead guilty to one charge of DUI resulting in death, documents said. As part of the deal, a judge could sentence her to anywhere between two to 20 years in prison.

<em>Prosecutors charged Madison with DUI resulting in death. A criminal complaint alleges her blood-alcohol level was above the legal limit, though the exact number was not provided. (LVMPD/KLAS)</em>
Prosecutors charged Madison with DUI resulting in death. A criminal complaint alleges her blood-alcohol level was above the legal limit, though the exact number was not provided. (LVMPD/KLAS)

As the 8 News Now Investigators first reported last year, the stretch of highway where Johnson was killed is not patrolled 24/7.

The crash happened at 12:33 a.m. on a section of road in the jurisdiction of Nevada State Police but records the 8 News Now Investigators obtained show Boulder City police arrived first at 12:41 a.m. The city’s fire department reached the crash site two minutes later at 12:43 a.m.

The first state trooper arrived at 1:14 a.m. – nearly 45 minutes after impact.

Madison’s criminal complaint alleges her blood-alcohol level was above the legal limit, though the exact number was not provided. A trooper said Madison told him she was driving home, but the trooper noted she was heading south on U.S. 95 in the wrong direction of her address, documents said.

<em>Katarina “Kat” Johnson, 18, died in a head-on crash on U.S. 95 near Boulder City. (Greg Johnson/KLAS)</em>
Katarina “Kat” Johnson, 18, died in a head-on crash on U.S. 95 near Boulder City. (Greg Johnson/KLAS)

A judge first set bail for Madison at $50,000, ordering her to stay away from drugs and alcohol and not to drive. Records show a judge found her out of compliance in November and tripled her bond. Madison was later released from custody and has since found work.

Last year, a judge in Boulder City heard arguments from prosecutors over allegations Madison tampered with her alcohol-monitoring bracelet. The judge determined Madison’s sock could have been to blame.

A judge was scheduled to sentence her in June. The DUI with death statute stipulates a sentence of 2-20 years, leaving the actual amount to a judge’s discretion.

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