A man who was previously convicted of killing a teenager in a DUI crash in Lake County has been sentenced to three years in prison following a new DUI crash in McHenry.
Todd Wojdakowski, 45, of McHenry, pleaded guilty to aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, a Class 3 felony.
McHenry County Judge Mark Gerhardt sentenced Wojdakowski on Wednesday to three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections pursuant to the plea agreement.
Prosecutors said Wojdakowski was driving in the area of Chapel Hill and Lincoln Road in McHenry on September 15, 2022.
Wojdakowski approached the intersection and struck the rear of a vehicle that was stopped at the red light.
Officers arrived on the scene and made contact with Wojdakowski.
Prosecutors said officers noted Wojdakowski’s eyes to be red, bloodshot and glassy and that the man was unsteady on his feet.
Officers also smelled a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from Wojdakowski’s breath and he exhibited slurred speech while talking.
Wojdakowski refused all field sobriety tests and an empty bottle of Fireball Cinnamon Whisky was found in his vehicle, prosecutors said.
He also refused to comply with a search warrant for a blood draw, court records show.
Wojdakowski was previously convicted of reckless homicide in Lake County in 1999.
Prosecutors said Wojdakowski crashed his vehicle into a utility pole while under the influence of alcohol, killing his passenger.
The Chicago Tribune reported that the incident happened in April 1999 in Volo and the deceased passenger was a 16-year-old.