UPDATE: Tallahassee judge killed in truck accident at state park

The husband of Circuit Judge Dawn Caloca-Johnson has confirmed that his wife was the woman killed Saturday afternoon when the pickup truck she was driving veered off the road and struck a tree inside of T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park.

According to a news release from the Florida Highway Patrol, the 61-year-old woman was driving north along County Road 30E inside the park at about 4 p.m. when the truck she was driving veered off the pavement onto the west dirt shoulder of the road.

“It began to rotate clockwise, and slid into the wood line. While rotating, the left side of the (truck) struck a large tree,” read the release. “The force of the impact caused (it) to overturn, and it continued to roll before coming to a final rest on its right side, facing southeast.”

Caloca-Johnson was wearing her seatbelt. She suffered critical injuries and was lifeflighted to Panama City where she was later taken off life support.

Her husband, Ken Johnson, posted on Facebook that they had driven separately to the state park for a camping trip. He said his wife had been fighting cancer for many months, undergoing two massive operations and a tough chemo treatment and transition to chemo maintenance.

Trial Court Administrator Elizabeth Garber wrote in a statement to WCTV that Caloca-Johnson leaves behind “a legacy of fairness, integrity and dedicated public service.”

“On behalf of the Second Judicial Circuit, we extend our heartfelt condolences to Judge Caloca-Johnson’s family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time,” the court said. “We are grateful for her many years of honorable service and mourn the loss of a remarkable jurist and friend.”

The Florida State University College of Law graduate served the local community at the circuit for nearly 25 years and for over 30 years as a lawyer, according to the court.

Before being appointed a circuit judge by former Governor Charlie Crist in March 2009, the circuit court said she also served as a child support hearing officer and a general magistrate, beginning in 1999.

The court said she was known for her “unwavering commitment to justice, her compassion for all who entered the courtroom, and her profound impact on the legal community and beyond.”

Second Circuit Chief Judge Frank Allman, who sits on the bench in Franklin County, told WCTV he was deeply saddened by the news of his colleague’s passing. 

“She was a wonderful colleague and a noted expert in family law,” Allman told the TV station. “I think her dedication toward children and families in crisis was amazing. She was a dedicated family law judge and she really had a true passion for children and families.”

Caloca-Johnson was serving as the circuit judge for Jefferson County and continued to handle probate and guardianship cases in Leon County as well, Allman said.

Governor Ron DeSantis will ultimately choose her successor.  In the interim, other circuit judges will step up to cover her cases.

Caloca-Johnson is survived by her husband and two daughters, Catherine and Claire.