ONSLOW COUNTY, NC — An Onslow County woman entered a no contest plea for misdemeanor death by motor vehicle this week.
Amanda Vanbuskirk appeared in Onslow Superior Court on Monday, August 4, receiving a split sentence of 15 days in jail and 75 days suspended for two years with supervised probation. She is currently detained at the Onslow County Detention Center.
The charge follows a February 2024 crash that claimed the life of Tyler Johnson, an Onslow County Detention Center Officer who had started his job just over a month prior.
According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Johnson was traveling north on Comfort Road near Richlands on February 10, 2024, when Vanbuskirk, traveling south, crossed the center line and struck his vehicle head-on. Both cars veered off the road, and Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene. Vanbuskirk received citations for misdemeanor death by vehicle and driving left of center.
As part of her probation, Vanbuskirk must maintain full-time employment or complete community service if unemployed, pay monthly supervision fees, and refrain from contacting certain individuals. She must also surrender her driver’s license for 12 months and undergo a substance abuse assessment upon release. Additionally, she was ordered to pay $2,050 for funeral expenses, including $700 for EMS services. Compliance with probation conditions for 12 months may allow her to transition to unsupervised probation.
This case was prosecuted by ADA Chris Dunnagan. The District Attorney’s office stated that the active sentence fell within the discretion of the judge. A total of eight family members of Johnson were present in court.