Woman Pleads Guilty to Hitting, Killing Pedestrian on Belair Road

By Racquel Bazos - March 19, 2024
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects | Traffic | Victims |

On March 19, a 37-year-old woman pleaded guilty to the 2022 vehicular manslaughter of a 69-year-old woman before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Yvette M. Bryant.

Tynisha Johnson pleaded guilty to the criminally negligent vehicular manslaughter of Teresa Moon, for which Judge Bryant sentenced her in accordance to the plea deal: six years, suspending all but six months on home detention. After her period of home detention, Johnson will serve three years of supervised probation, complete a Driver Improvement Program and 100 hours of community service with the elderly. 

The prosecutor read the facts of the case to the court. Video recovered from businesses near the site of the accident on the 4700 block of Belair Road showed Johnson driving a 2005 Honda Accord 58 mph in a 30 mph zone. Johnson lost control of Accord when she hit a bump in the road, causing the vehicle to turn sideways and hit Moon as she was crossing the street. Moon hit the car’s hood and windshield and was thrown into the air. 

The medical examiner reported in Moon’s autopsy that she suffered multiple fractures and deep chest laceration, as well as likely head trauma. She was pronounced dead less than half an hour later at a local hospital.

The prosecutor said that in addition to killing Moon, Johnson’s reckless driving posed a threat to the other pedestrians and people waiting at a bus stop on that block. 

Moon’s sister and niece gave their victim impact statements to the court via Zoom. Her sister said that she and Moon were very close, speaking at least twice a day despite living in different countries. 

Moon’s niece said, “We have overwhelming grief.” She also asked Judge Bryant to consider giving Johnson mandatory counseling for drug and alcohol abuse. The judge appreciated her concern, but said there was no evidence Johnson was intoxicated at the time of the incident. 

Johnson apologized to the family through tears. “I have her picture in my Bible,” she said. “I wish I could take it back every day.” A nurse since 2010, she said she didn’t want to harm anyone on her way to the gym on April 13, 2022. 

Her attorney, Terry Lavenstein, told the court his client had no prior criminal record before adding that “[Johnson] is absolutely devastated by this incident” and sees a doctor regularly to manage her mental health in its aftermath. 

Lavenstein and the prosecutor agreed Johnson will be allowed several exceptions to her home detention, mostly in order to care for her five-year-old son. She will be allowed to leave home to take her son to daycare, medical appointments and haircuts as needed, as well as go to work, the grocery store and church.  

At the very end of the hearing, Moon’s family asked Johnson if she could put flowers on her grave. Johnson agreed and told them she put balloons on her grave on the last anniversary of Moon’s death.