Fox River boat crash victim identified; charges filed against Lisle man

MCHENRY COUNTY, Ill. - The woman killed in a devastating boat crash on the Fox River over the weekend has now been identified as the man accused of causing the collision remains jailed while facing felony charges.

Fox River crash victim identified

What we know:

The McHenry County Coroner's Office identified the victim on Tuesday as 49-year-old Magdalena Jablonska.

The coroner's office said preliminary findings showed blunt force injuries to her head and body. The cause and manner of death is under further investigation.

Richard M. Stevenson, 45, of Lisle, appeared in McHenry County court Monday, where a judge denied his release before trial. Stevenson is charged with two counts of aggravated DUI causing death and one count of reckless homicide in connection with the crash.

The backstory:

According to prosecutors, Illinois Conservation Police responded around 2:30 p.m. Saturday to a two-vessel crash on the Fox River just south of the McHenry Dam. Investigators said they found a severely damaged 20-foot Crownline and a 31-foot SouthBay pontoon that had run aground nearby. 

Prosecutors allege Stevenson was operating the pontoon when it struck the rear of the Crownline at an extremely high rate of speed before riding over the smaller boat.

The crash killed Jablonska, who suffered catastrophic injuries. A man who was also aboard the Crownline was injured. Authorities have not publicly identified him.

Prosecutors said Stevenson was later found in trees near the shoreline where the pontoon came to rest. Two other people who had been aboard the pontoon left the scene before law enforcement arrived.

Stevenson was taken to Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital, where prosecutors said testing showed his blood alcohol concentration was approximately .236 shortly after the crash, or about .20 at the time of the collision. Authorities also told the court Stevenson refused field sobriety testing, a breath test and initially refused a court-ordered blood draw.

During Monday's detention hearing, prosecutors presented statements from several witnesses. One passenger on Stevenson's boat allegedly told investigators Stevenson was speeding through a no-wake zone despite repeated warnings to slow down.

That witness also claimed Stevenson bought Fireball whiskey at a gas station, drank two shots before getting on the river, drank at a bar and restaurant before the crash and continued taking shots while operating the boat. The witness told investigators Stevenson was stumbling on the dock before leaving the establishment but still got behind the wheel of the pontoon. The passenger also said they feared for their safety.

Another man who encountered Stevenson after the collision told investigators Stevenson was crying and said his "life was over." Prosecutors said Stevenson also admitted he had been drinking.

Assistant State's Attorney Brian Miller argued Stevenson should remain behind bars, calling him an ongoing danger to the public because of what prosecutors described as decades of reckless driving offenses.

Dig deeper:

According to prosecutors, Stevenson has previously been charged with DUI three times, reckless driving three times and four misdemeanor speeding offenses. Court testimony also detailed prior convictions involving fleeing police and driving on a revoked license.

"This man was a ticking time-bomb and that bomb went off this past Saturday on the Fox River," Miller told the court.

Defense attorney Patrick Walsh argued Stevenson is presumed innocent and asked the judge to release him under strict conditions allowed under Illinois' SAFE-T Act.

Walsh proposed GPS monitoring, home confinement, continuous alcohol monitoring through a SCRAM bracelet, a ban on operating boats and an order prohibiting Stevenson from consuming alcohol. He told the court Stevenson is married, employed, supports three children and has consistently appeared for prior court proceedings, while acknowledging the tragic nature of the case.

Judge Cynthia D. Lamb ruled the evidence against Stevenson was substantial and found he poses "a real and present threat" to the community. She cited allegations that Stevenson was traveling about 80 mph in a no-wake zone, continued drinking throughout the day, ignored warnings from passengers and has a lengthy history of alcohol-related and reckless driving offenses.

Lamb determined that GPS monitoring, alcohol monitoring and home confinement would not adequately protect the public and ordered Stevenson held in the McHenry County Jail pending trial.

What's next:

Stevenson's next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 5 at 9 a.m.

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