A Marengo man has been sentenced to five years in prison for driving drunk and causing a crash that killed his wife and two dogs and also left a 4-year-old child seriously injured near Woodstock.
Sergio Esquivel, 48, of Marengo, was charged in October 2021 with two counts of aggravated driving under the influence causing death, four counts of aggravated driving under the influence causing bodily harm, reckless homicide and two counts of aggravated reckless driving.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, Marengo Fire Protection District, Huntley Fire Protection District and Union Fire Protection District responded around 8:16 p.m. on September 22, 2021, to Route 176 west of Sunnyside Road in unincorporated Woodstock.
Sheriff’s deputies found a two-vehicle crash involving a red 2019 Dodge Challenger and a gray 2016 Mazda 6.
An investigation indicated that the Dodge, driven by Esquivel, was traveling westbound on Route 176 west of Sunnyside Road, according to the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office.
The Mazda, driven by a 27-year-old Union woman, was traveling eastbound on Route 176.
The Dodge crossed the center line and crashed into the Mazda, according to the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office.
The passenger of the Dodge, identified as Mabel Esquivel, 44, of Marengo, was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.
Sergio Esquivel, who was the husband of Mabel Esquivel, was transported by medical helicopter to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with serious injuries.
The driver of the Mazda and her passenger, a 4-year-old boy, were transported from the scene by ambulance to Northwestern Medicine Hospital in Woodstock.
The 4-year-old male was later transported by ambulance to Ann and Robert Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago with serious injuries.
Two dogs were also inside the Mazda at the time of the crash, the sheriff’s office said.
One dog died in the crash and the other was taken to an emergency veterinarian for observation.
A relative of the Mazda driver previously told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that the second dog died following surgery.
The occupants of the Dodge were not wearing seatbelts, the sheriff’s office said. The driver of the Mazda was wearing a seatbelt and the 4-year-old passenger was restrained in a child safety seat.
A blood draw at the hospital showed Esquivel had a 0.28 blood alcohol content, which is over three times the legal limit, court documents said.
Court records show that Esquivel entered into a negotiated plea deal with the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office this week.
He pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated driving under the influence causing death, a Class 2 felony, in exchange for a five-year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Esquivel will be required to serve 85% of the sentence and he will only receive two days of credit for time spent in the county jail.