Mom whose baby was killed after deputy rear-ended car in Stockton also dies

A woman who was critically injured over the weekend when a San Joaquin County sheriff’s deputy rear-ended her vehicle on Interstate 5 near Stockton has died, the department said.

Kalesha Johnson, 23, died Wednesday after spending four days in the hospital following the Saturday night crash. Johnson’s 1-year-old son, who was in the back seat when the car was struck, was taken to a hospital, where he died that night.

The sheriff’s deputy was driving a patrol car north on the freeway near Charter Way when the cruiser rammed into Johnson’s Ford sedan shortly after 10:30 p.m., according to a news release from the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office. The force of the impact propelled the Ford down an embankment.

After the car came to a stop, the deputy removed the child from the vehicle and began performing CPR, sheriff’s officials said. Good Samaritans also ran to the Ford and performed CPR on Johnson. She and the deputy were taken to hospitals, although the deputy was treated and released.

Authorities do not think drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash, but it is not clear what caused the collision. The California Highway Patrol is investigating the crash but could not provide additional details Thursday.

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call the CHP at (209) 938-4800.