Illinois man charged after high-speed boat crash kills woman on Fox River
A 45-year-old Illinois boater was arrested and charged with reckless homicide and aggravated DUI after his pontoon struck a smaller boat at about 80 mph, killing a 48-year-old woman and injuring her husband.
Richard Stevenson, 45, was detained after his 31-foot pontoon collided with a smaller boat on the Fox River in McHenry County, traveling at an estimated 80 mph in a no-wake zone. The crash decapitated a 48-year-old woman, who died on site, and injured her husband. Authorities discovered Stevenson near the boat and transported him to Northwestern Hospital, where his blood alcohol level was measured at about.200, more than double the legal limit.
Witnesses reported he had been drinking all day, and surveillance footage captured the high-speed run on both the river and the nearby Chain O’Lakes. He faces charges of reckless homicide and two counts of aggravated driving under the influence, and a judge ordered him to remain in jail until his next hearing on Aug. 5.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the dangers of reckless boating under the influence and raises public safety concerns on inland waterways.
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