A firefighter from Michigan was charged in Anoka County District Court on Monday after reportedly causing a freeway crash that killed two of his fellow firefighters and injured six others as they drove one of their trucks to Utah to fight a wildfire.
Michael A. Johnson, 28, of Baraga, Mich., was charged with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide in connection with the Saturday afternoon crash, which took place on southbound Interstate 35W near 95th Avenue Northeast in Blaine, according to the criminal complaint filed against Johnson.
James Shelifoe, 23, and Alan Swartz, 25, both of Baraga, died in the crash. Johnson also reportedly suffered injuries.
The crew from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was from the Baraga-based Beartown Firefighters, which is managed by the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs.
They were reportedly en route to Utah when Johnson lost control of the firetruck just after 3 p.m. Saturday. Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the scene, where first responders discovered the cab and the box of the truck separated and spread across traffic lanes, the criminal complaint said.
The cab was in the southbound lane of 35W while the box was found on its side in the median.
Tire markings indicated the firetruck had reportedly drifted onto the right shoulder of the two-lane freeway before being jerked left in what appeared to be an attempt to correct the swerve.
When interviewed at the scene, Johnson allegedly appeared impaired and acted “combative,” the complaint said.
He told officers he’d been been up for more than 24 hours at the time of the crash aside from a 45-minute nap earlier Saturday morning. He said he “believed he fell asleep while driving and woke up to his passenger yelling at him as he veered of the road,” the complaint said.
When he attempted to correct the error, he reportedly said he crashed into the cable barrier in the median.
Johnson allegedly later admitted to using marijuana several hours earlier Saturday and cocaine two days before that, the complaint said.
Toxicology reports are pending.
The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community released a statement about the crash on the tribe’s Facebook page Saturday night.
“Our hearts are broken and our prayers are with the family members and those injured,” the post read.
The tribal government said in a separate statement Sunday that the injured firefighters were expected to recover, but released no details about their conditions. It said 11 other firefighters were also en route to the Box Canyon fire in Utah. They were in a convoy but became separated from the truck that crashed.
“Those firefighters are understandably shaken and are getting much-needed support from local agencies,” the statement said.
Witnesses at the scene reportedly told officers that the convoy had been traveling at high speeds prior to the crash. One estimated the vehicles were moving 80 to 90 mph in a 70-mph zone.
Another witness observed Johnson’s firetruck drift into the right lane of traffic three times, the complaint said. The third time, the witness said the firetruck swerved across the lane of traffic onto the right side of the road. Then it whipped back to the left and crashed into the barrier, causing the box to separate from the cab and roll several times.
Johnson remained in the Anoka County jail Monday, with a first court appearance scheduled for Tuesday. Prosecutors said they weren’t aware of him having an attorney who could comment on the charges.
The tribe said on Facebook that the deceased firefighters would be returned home Tuesday. Shelifoe’s funeral is scheduled for Wednesday while Swartz’s funeral is set for Thursday. The fire departments in Baraga and nearby L’Anse were raising money to support those affected by the crash.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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