2 killed in crash were engaged

Robert Willis Johnston Jr., 35, and Trula Middleton, 24 - both killed in a three-vehicle accident on Highway 20 - were engaged to be married and excited about planning their February wedding, family and friends said Monday.

The couple met when Johnston frequented the drive-through window at Jimboy's Tacos in Grass Valley, where Trula Middleton had worked since 2005, her mother, Mary Middleton, said.

Johnston had just given Trula a ring a few weeks ago, she said.

"They had great plans," Middleton said.

The couple was killed Saturday afternoon when Middleton lost control of her 2006 Honda Civic on Highway 20, crossed into oncoming traffic, and was broadsided by a Volvo. The Volvo was rear-ended by the Kia Rio following behind.

Middleton and Johnston, who was riding in the front passenger seat, were pronounced dead at the scene, according to the California Highway Patrol. The driver of the Volvo suffered moderate injuries, and the driver of the Kia received minor injuries, the CHP reported.

The cause of Saturday's accident is unknown, said CHP Officer Dina Hernandez.

Alcohol was not a factor in the accident, and speed did not appear to contribute to it, she said.

Snow and sleet were on the road at the time of the wreck, which could possibly have been a factor in the accident, Hernandez added.

A preliminary investigation indicates Johnston was wearing his seat belt, while it appeared Middleton was not wearing hers, she said.

Officers had not yet been able to interview the driver of the Volvo Monday, she said.

Mary Middleton cried Monday as she recalled her daughter: An outgoing, charming young woman who loved to shop, work hard, get her nails done and chat with her customers.

"She was always concerned with what people thought, so she was genuinely sweet," Middleton said with a distinctive Midwestern accent. "Trula was for real. She was honest in her relationships. She said how things were."

Mary Middleton and her three children are originally from Minnesota and moved to Nevada County from Wyoming about five years ago to live with her second husband, she said.

Trula's quick wit won her many friends through her job, her mother said. She recently was promoted to manager, said her employer, Ted Laffoon.

"She loved communicating with people, and she could joke with the staff," Laffoon said. "It's hard to find someone like her. She had the ability to treat people with respect."

Middleton was slowly learning Spanish from her co-workers and had cultivated some good "Spanglish," a combination of English and Spanish, he said.

"Trula was the closest thing to a sister I ever had," said Jeremy Hanna, an employee at Jimboy's Tacos.

Trula Middleton was also a devout Jehovah's Witness, her mother said. Mary Middleton shares her daughter's faith, which comforts her during this difficult time, she said.



Johnston 'an

awesome person'

Johnston also had an engaging personality, and he enjoyed working with children, playing disc golf and fishing.

"He was a big kid himself," said his former sister-in-law, Laura Mostajo.

One of his favorite sayings was "fish on," Johnston's family said.

"Robby," as his friends and family called him, worked at Milhous School in Nevada City as a counselor for troubled youths. He also worked at a local daycare for a few years, Mostajo said.

"Robby had a very colorful personality," Middleton said. "He was the entertainment for the kids at Milhous."

Johnston was very close to his two nephews and his niece, who are having a difficult time coping with their uncle's death, Mostajo said.

"My cousin was an awesome person, and I am not just saying that because he is gone. He was the best person you will ever meet," Johnston's cousin Natalie Kurtz wrote in an e-mail Monday. "I am lucky to have had him for a cousin, and I miss him so much already. I keep thinking this is just a bad dream."

The Middleton family is planning a private service for Trula Middleton at Chapel of the Angels, Mary Middleton said.

The Johnston family is raising money for Johnston's funeral expenses and has not yet scheduled a service, Mostajo said.

How you can help

The family of accident victim Robby Johnston is raising money for his funeral expenses and has set up an account for donations at Citizens Bank of Nevada County.

The account number is 22022024. Make checks out to “Memorial Fund for Robby

Johnston.”

— Robyn Moormeister