Overview
- A triple-engine pontoon allegedly struck a smaller boat on the Fox River on Saturday, July 26, killing 48-year-old Magdalena Jablonska and seriously injuring the man who was with her.
- Richard M. Stevenson, 45, of Lisle, was charged with reckless homicide and aggravated driving under the influence and a judge ordered him held in the McHenry County Jail with a next court date on August 5.
- Prosecutors told the court they have neighbor and security video showing the pontoon at very high speed, witness statements that he drank throughout the day, and a hospital blood test that showed a BAC around .20 to .236.
- Officials say the vessel was a high-powered, three-engine pontoon traveling in or near a no-wake area of river that residents describe as narrow with blind turns, prompting local calls for stronger speed and safety enforcement.
- The Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois Conservation Police and McHenry County prosecutors are leading the probe, have released the autopsy finding of blunt force injuries, and are asking the public for photos or video as the investigation continues.