A Marengo woman was sentenced to over 12 years in prison after she was caught driving drunk for the sixth time — driving into oncoming traffic and crashing in Marengo — and then later causing a separate DUI crash that left her seriously injured in Crystal Lake.
Kathie L. Zaremba, 62, of Marengo, was stopped by the Marengo Police Department around 4:20 p.m. on March 15, 2024.
Officers received a driving complaint in the 900 block of Franks Road in Marengo.
The caller reported a gray Jeep stopped in the roadway with a driver who appeared to be intoxicated, prosecutors said.
Police officers observed the Jeep, driven by Zaremba, cross over the center line.
Officers initiated a traffic stop and made contact with Zaremba and smelled a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from the vehicle, prosecutors said.
A subsequent driving under the influence investigation revealed “clear signs” of impairment, prosecutors said.
Zaremba was taken into custody for driving under the influence of alcohol, a Class A misdemeanor.
A further investigation into her criminal history showed at least three prior DUI convictions, resulting in her charges being upgraded to aggravated driving under the influence with three prior violations, a Class 2 felony.
She was released from custody and just three days later was involved in a major crash in Crystal Lake.
The Crystal Lake Police Department and Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department responded around 9:36 p.m. on March 18, 2024, to the area of Huntley Road and Boneset Drive.
Crystal Lake Deputy Police Chief Richard Neumann said officers arrived to find a two-vehicle crash.
A preliminary investigation revealed Zaremba’s Jeep SUV was traveling southbound on Huntley Road near Boneset Drive.
The Jeep crossed into the northbound lane of traffic, Neumann said. It collided head-on with a sedan that was traveling northbound.
Neumann said Zaremba and the two occupants in the sedan were transported to the hospital for treatment of injuries.
Zaremba suffered serious injuries and was flown to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.
A LifeNet medical helicopter landed at Northwestern Medicine Hospital in Huntley where an ambulance transferred her to the helicopter. The others involved suffered minor injuries.
Zaremba was initially charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, a Class A misdemeanor, in that crash but the charges were later upgraded to aggravated driving under the influence with three prior violations, a Class 2 felony, as well as several petty offenses.
Neumann said a portion of Huntley Road was shut down for several hours while police investigators worked on the scene.
An investigation by the Crystal Lake Police Department determined that Zaremba’s blood alcohol concentration at the time of the collision was 0.10, prosecutors said.
Zaremba was arrested in that case and released from the McHenry County Jail by McHenry County Judge Michael Chmiel.
While on pre-trial release in both cases, Zaremba was arrested again by the Marengo Police Department after they found her driving under the influence of alcohol on January 4, court records show.
Prosecutors said that incident stemmed from a dangerous crash around 7:20 p.m. that was witnessed by members of the Marengo Fire and Rescue Districts.
Emergency crews saw a yellow Hummer cross into oncoming traffic, veer into a ditch and strike a water shut-off valve and pipe before coming to rest in the parking lot of a Taco Bell.
Responding officers determined Zaremba was driving and immediately detected a strong odor of alcohol, prosecutors said.
The officers observed that Zaremba had red, glossy eyes and slurred speech.
Zaremba displayed multiple signs of impairment and was taken into custody following the investigation, prosecutors said.
A search warrant was obtained and Zaremba’s blood was drawn and later analyzed, revealing a blood alcohol concentration of 0.150 — nearly twice the legal limit.
Investigators also determined that Zaremba had at least five prior DUI convictions, making this her sixth DUI offense.
She was charged with aggravated driving under the influence with five or more prior violations, a Class X felony, which carries up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
Zaremba pleaded guilty to the Class X felony on Wednesday and was sentenced by McHenry County Judge Mark Gerhardt to 12 years and six months in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) pursuant to the plea agreement.
In January, Zaremba pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, a Class 2 felony, in connection with the March 15, 2024, arrest. She was sentenced to seven years in the IDOC in that case.
Prosecutors argued during a sentencing hearing in that case in March that Zaremba poses a significant danger to the community, citing a criminal history dating back to 1994, beginning with her first DUI arrest.
Prosecutors also highlighted her repeated disregard for court orders and bond conditions.
“Enough is enough. Over and over again, this person continued to endanger innocent people on our roadways. Despite multiple prior DUI convictions, prior accidents, Ms. Zaremba continued to drive drunk,” McHenry County State’s Attorney Randi Freese said following Zaremba’s latest prison sentence.
“This sentence reflects my office’s steadfast commitment to holding repeat DUI offenders accountable and protecting the safety of the public,” Freese said.
Zaremba will be placed on three years of mandatory supervised release following her release from prison. Both sentences will be served concurrently.