A North Chicago man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for driving intoxicated and crashing into a vehicle, killing a 66-year-old man and injuring a woman, in Gurnee.
Christopher Huley, 38, of North Chicago, was charged in January 2023 with three counts of aggravated driving under the influence causing death and three counts of reckless homicide.
The charges stem from a vehicle crash that occurred around 5:40 a.m. on July 9, 2022, at Stearns School Road and Dilleys Road in Gurnee.
Officers arrived and found a 2017 Cadillac XTS and a 2013 Mazda CX5 with extensive damage, Gurnee Police Department Public Information Officer Shawn Gaylor said at the time.
The Mazda was driven by Robert Wiedmann, 66, of Crossville, Tennessee, and a 64-year-old woman, also from Crossville, Tennessee, was in the passenger seat.
An investigation showed the Mazda was traveling eastbound on Stearns School Road.
The Cadillac, driven by Huley, rear-ended the Mazda, Gaylor said and court records show.
Paramedics transported Wiedmann to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville where he died.
The 64-year-old passenger suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was also transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center, Gaylor said.
Huley suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
The Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT) was requested to assist in the crash investigation, Gaylor said.
The intersection was closed for around four hours while investigators worked at the scene.
An obituary for Wiedmann said he was a “wonderful husband” and an “exceptionally proud and amazing father” to two children. He was also a grandfather to a grandson.
“Bob was a great and passionate golfer, loved bowling and fishing out on his lake. Bob had the gift of gab and could light up an entire room with his HUGE presence, he always made sure he was known by all,” the obituary said.
Charges were filed against Huley at the end of January 2023 and a warrant was issued for his arrest. A grand jury indicted him in March 2023.
Huley was taken into custody on May 2, 2023, after voluntarily surrendering, court records show.
In late August, Huley pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated driving under the influence causing a crash involving death, a Class 2 felony. The rest of his charges were dismissed as part of the negotiated plea deal.
Huley was sentenced to seven years and six months in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) pursuant to the agreement, which a judge accepted.
IDOC records show Huley is projected to be paroled in November 2030. He will be on mandatory supervised release for two years after his prison release.