Illinois man charged with reckless homicide after fatal boat crash on Fox River
Richard Stevenson, 45, has been detained on reckless homicide and aggravated DUI charges following a collision that killed a woman on the Fox River near McHenry, Illinois.
A 45-year-old man accused of operating a pontoon boat while intoxicated has been ordered detained after a court hearing in McHenry, Illinois. Prosecutors said Richard Stevenson faced three felony counts, including reckless homicide and aggravated driving under the influence, after his boat struck a Crownline vessel on the Fox River on Saturday, killing a passenger who was decapitated. The crash occurred after Stevenson allegedly entered a no-wake zone and collided with the rear of the other boat while traveling at an estimated 80 miles per hour.
Investigators cited security footage that showed Stevenson’s pontoon traveling south and then north on the river before the impact, and a separate video captured the boat passing a nearby playground about two hours prior to the collision. Witnesses reported the pontoon came to rest on a riverbank, where Stevenson was found and later taken to a hospital. A blood test allegedly indicated a blood alcohol concentration of 0.20, roughly 2.5 times the legal limit.
Two other passengers on Stevenson’s boat left the scene but were later interviewed; they told police the driver had consumed multiple shots of Fireball whiskey and was traveling at high speed. Prosecutors also highlighted Stevenson’s prior traffic offenses, including three DUI arrests between 1997 and 2005, multiple reckless-driving and speeding citations, and a recent 2023 misdemeanor speeding violation.