Kirk Johnson, a 46-year-old man from Wisconsin, faces homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle charge after a crash that killed 56-year-old Kimberly Clark. The collision occurred Saturday in Eau Claire County as Clark and another woman drove home from a funeral. Johnson allegedly had a blood alcohol content more than twice the legal limit.
Kirk Johnson was driving a Chevrolet Silverado when it veered into the lane of a Subaru SUV on the intersection of Highway 93 and Severson Road in Eau Claire County. The SUV carried Kimberly Clark, 56, and an unnamed driver returning from a funeral. Clark was found unconscious in the passenger seat and pronounced dead at the scene. The driver told police she saw Johnson's truck entering her lane and tried to swerve but could not avoid the impact. Witnesses confirmed her account and said Johnson appeared drunk. Johnson claimed to police he had consumed one or two beers hours earlier. He showed clear signs of impairment on a field sobriety test, and a breath test measured his blood alcohol content at 0.207, over twice the legal limit of 0.08. WQOW reported Johnson has five prior convictions for operating while intoxicated, dating back to June 2000, with the latest in 2019. Johnson is held at Eau Claire County Jail on $100,000 cash bond with conditions. His next court appearance is June 15.