A 21-year-old Newport man is facing two vehicular homicide charges after a head-on collision killed a pregnant woman and her unborn baby in Sevier County, Tennessee. The crash happened Sunday afternoon, just weeks before the 37-year-old woman was expected to give birth.
According to court documents, Kaden Johnson was driving a pickup truck along Jones Cove Road at approximately 4:20 p.m. on November 8, 2026, when his vehicle allegedly crossed the center line and struck an SUV traveling in the opposite direction.
The SUV was driven by Rebecca Owens, who was 37 weeks pregnant. The impact left her and her unborn baby seriously injured. Both were taken to LeConte Medical Center, where they were pronounced dead.
What investigators reportedly learned after the collision has become an important part of the case. When Tennessee troopers questioned Johnson, he allegedly could not remember why his truck had crossed into the opposite lane.
Troopers also reported detecting the smell of alcohol on Johnson’s breath. According to court documents, he failed multiple field sobriety tests administered after the crash.
Johnson was subsequently charged with two counts of vehicular homicide, driving under the influence and failure to maintain his lane. The two homicide counts relate to the deaths of Rebecca and her unborn baby.
His bond was set at $200,000, and he was listed as being in custody following his arrest. The charges are allegations, and Johnson has not been convicted in connection with the crash.
While the criminal case now moves forward, the deaths have left Rebecca’s loved ones with a loss that goes beyond what can be described in a police report. She was 37 years old and only three weeks from reaching her expected due date.
Her family had every reason to look forward to a new arrival. Instead, the crash took away a mother and the child she was carrying before either could experience the future that awaited them.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol investigation has brought serious charges against Johnson, but for Rebecca’s loved ones, the immediate reality is much harder. A woman who was preparing to welcome her baby is gone, and the child she carried never got the chance to be born.
The case remains under investigation as Johnson faces the charges. Rebecca Owens and her unborn baby are the two lives at the center of a tragedy that has shaken their family and brought renewed attention to the consequences of alleged impaired driving.