Middle School teacher arrested for ‘drunken’ crash a year ago that killed a pregnant mom

A Florida middle school teacher has been arrested a year after killing a pregnant mom in a drunken crash, police say.

Carrie Russell, 46, was swerving down a major Florida highway on February 16, 2024, when she crossed a double yellow line and crashed into 29-year-old Amanda Jansen’s truck, according to police.

The head-on collision killed Jansen and her unborn child.

Police say that Russell was drunk and tested positive for amphetamines, stimulant drugs, at the time of the crash. Russell was arrested for the crash on Sunday, over a year after the pregnant mother was killed. She faces two charges of DUI homicide related to the crash.

It’s unclear why it took a year for police to charge Russell.

Russell is teacher and works for Oak View Middle School in Newberry, Florida, the same town Jansen lived.

Alachua County Public Schools told The Independent, “While the district cannot provide any details about this situation, families at the school are being notified that Ms. Russell was arrested over the weekend and has been placed on administrative leave.

“A substitute will be fulfilling her duties through the rest of the school year, which ends June 3rd.”

Jansen, originally from Gainesville, Florida, was remembered in her obituary as a “young, loving, kind, and adventurous soul.”

She was outdoorsy with a love of gardening, fishing, hunting, tending to her chickens and paddle-boarding. Jansen’s loved ones said that she “had just found out she was going to be a mother” before the crash “and was so excited for the new adventure.”

“Even though she had so much more life to live her angel wings were ready and she was called home,” the obituary read. “Her loss has left a big hole in all of our hearts.”

The pregnant mother worked for Shore Builders Inc. - a residential, commercial and marine construction company based in Gainesville.

This past February, the company paid tribute to Jansen by hosting her family for a lunch “to honor her memory and celebrate her significant contributions to Shore Builders,” according to a Facebook post by the construction firm.

Shore Builders announced in the post that they had created a mural in their conference room of Jansen fishing on a dock, known as “her favorite place.”

“She will be deeply missed but will always remain a part of the Shore Builders family,” the company said.