A 45-year-old Illinois man accused of causing a deadly boat Crash while intoxicated is facing serious charges after prosecutors said he slammed into another vessel at nearly 80 mph, killing a woman on the Fox River.
According to the New York Post, Richard Stevenson allegedly crashed his 31-foot pontoon boat into the back of a smaller boat in a designated no-wake zone Saturday afternoon, the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office said in the statement.
The collision killed a 48-year-old woman who was riding in the smaller boat and left her husband injured. Prosecutors said during Stevenson’s detention hearing Monday that the woman was decapitated in the impact and died at the scene.
“This man was a ticking time-bomb and that bomb went off this past Saturday on the Fox River,” Deputy Chief Brian Miller said during the hearing, according to ABC7 Chicago.
Authorities said Stevenson was found near his pontoon boat along the shoreline when officers arrived.
He was taken to Northwestern Hospital in McHenry, where testing reportedly showed his blood alcohol concentration was about .200, more than twice the legal limit for operating a vehicle.
Investigators said witnesses reported Stevenson had been drinking throughout the day before the Crash.
Surveillance footage allegedly showed him traveling at dangerous speeds on the Fox River and nearby Chain O’Lakes before the collision occurred around 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
Prosecutors said Stevenson was traveling as fast as 80 mph when his pontoon struck the 20-foot Crownline boat.
Two other passengers who had been on Stevenson’s boat reportedly left before police arrived.
Stevenson was charged with reckless homicide and two counts of aggravated driving under the influence. A judge ordered that he remain in custody while awaiting trial.
The charges come with additional scrutiny because prosecutors say Stevenson has a history of driving-related offenses.
His record reportedly includes three previous DUI cases, three reckless driving charges and four misdemeanor speeding violations.
Authorities have not released the identity of the woman who died in the Crash.
Stevenson is scheduled to return to court on Aug. 5 as the case moves forward.