A man has been sentenced to five weekends in jail for recklessly driving when his car slammed into a business in Harvard and struck a worker inside, causing the worker to be thrown and injured.
The Harvard Police Department and Harvard Fire Protection District responded around 9:20 a.m. on March 11 to 701 West Park Street for a report of a vehicle crash with injuries.
Officers arrived to find a red 2019 Ford coupe that had struck the building at Erect-A-Tube, a company that specializes in designing and crafting general aviation facilities.
The Ford had been traveling eastbound at a speed where the driver could no longer control the vehicle, according to a criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court.
The Ford penetrated the building and made contact with an adult male who was sitting at a desk.
The complaint said the man was thrown approximately 15-20 feet away. Debris was also thrown around upon the car’s impact.
The victim suffered injuries to his right elbow and left calf, the complaint said. He was transported to the hospital where he received multiple stitches for his elbow.
His leg was placed in a leg brace and severe bruising was noted on his left calf.
The driver was identified as Sergio Pichardo-Esquivel, 21, of Harvard.
He was charged in March with one count of aggravated reckless driving causing bodily harm, a Class 4 felony, and a warrant was issued.
Pichardo-Esquivel was processed on the warrant at the McHenry Police Department before being released.
Pichardo-Esquivel was initially only cited in the incident with unlawful possession of cannabis by a driver, transportation of alcohol by a driver and failure to reduce speed.
Court records show Pichardo-Esquivel entered into a negotiated plea deal with the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office on Friday.
He pleaded guilty to the felony charge against him in exchange for being sentenced to 15 days of periodic imprisonment in the McHenry County Jail and 24 months of probation.
The jail sentence will be served over the span of five weekends.
Pichardo-Esquivel was also ordered to attend a victim impact panel, obtain a substance abuse evaluation and not use alcohol or drugs.