An Arizona woman has pleaded guilty to federal charges after a high-speed crash that put three children at risk. Court records state that on May 4, 2024, Avedale Johnson, 40, a member of the Navajo Nation, drove while intoxicated at speeds exceeding 100 mph on U.S. Highway 491. Three children under the age of 12 were in her car without seatbelts when she crashed into another vehicle and then attempted to evade law enforcement. The children were not injured during the incident. Johnson admitted to drinking vodka before driving.
Johnson entered a guilty plea to abandonment or abuse of a child (no death or great bodily harm). She faces up to three years in prison and five years of supervised probation.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Philip Russell of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office announced the plea.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated the case with help from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin L. Dillon is prosecuting.
