A man has been sentenced to five years in prison after he was arrested near McHenry for his fifth DUI where he was three times over the legal limit and drove into oncoming traffic.
Danny R. Hampton, 61, of Crystal Lake, was charged in September 2021 with four counts of aggravated driving under the influence, two counts being Class 1 felonies and the others being Class 4 felonies.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle around 2:13 a.m. on September 26, 2021, near South River Road and Fernview Lane in unincorporated McHenry.
The vehicle was driving in the wrong direction, a deputy noticed.
Prosecutors said the car had turned southbound on River Road from McHenry Dam Road and was driving in the northbound lane.
The deputy stopped the vehicle and approached the driver, identified as Hampton.
The deputy immediately noticed signs of intoxication and damage to the side mirror of the driver’s side door.
Hampton spoke with slurred speech and was unsure of where he was driving, prosecutors said.
Deputies observed that Hampton could not recall where he lived and had difficulty standing on his own without falling.
The McHenry Township Fire Protection District was dispatched to the scene to evaluate Hampton and they transported him to Northwestern Medicine Hospital in McHenry for treatment.
While at the hospital, it was discovered that Hampton’s blood alcohol content was three times the legal limit, prosecutors said.
Hampton had four prior convictions for driving under the influence at the time.
The prior convictions occurred in 1984 in McHenry County, 1985 in McHenry County, 1990 in Lake County and 2006 in McHenry County.
Court records show Hampton entered into a negotiated plea deal and pleaded guilty to aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol fifth offense, a Class 1 felony.
McHenry County Judge Mark Gerhardt approved the plea on Tuesday and sentenced Hampton to five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally said he commends the “hard work and dedication” to public safety by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and Assistant State’s Attorney Justin Neubauer, who prosecuted the case.