A crane company executive has been charged with homicide after allegedly operating a boat while intoxicated and crashing into another boat, killing a female victim, on the Fox River near McHenry Saturday.
Richard M. Stevenson, 45, of Lisle, was charged with one count of reckless homicide and one count of aggravated driving under the influence causing a crash involving great bodily harm.
The McHenry Township Fire Protection District and McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responded around 2:30 p.m. Saturday to the 1800 block of South Fernwood Lane in unincorporated McHenry for a report of a boat crash.
Fire crews arrived and found a crash involving two boats on the Fox River south of the McHenry Dam after receiving multiple 911 calls about the incident.
An occupant of one of the boats was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, McHenry Township Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Chris Kozel said.
The McHenry County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene to take possession of the victim for an autopsy. Their identity has not been released yet.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Illinois Department of Natural Resources Police also responded to the scene, in addition to 18 fire personnel, Kozel said.
All other occupants involved in the crash were out of the water when the fire department arrived.
McHenry resident Cody Bingham told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that he was at a celebration of life party at a home on the east side of the Fox River.
He was among the first people at the scene and found a female dead.
Bingham brought the small white vessel, in which the victim was an occupant, to a nearby dock on the east side of the Fox River.
The second person on the smaller boat was transported to a local hospital by ambulance with advanced life support care, Kozel said.
The second boat involved, which was a larger triple-engine vessel, came to rest partially off the Fox River in a wooded area.
Stevenson is the owner of the larger boat that ran aground, according to police radio traffic.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources Police arrested Stevenson and transported him to the McHenry County Jail on the felony charges, jail records show.
Bystanders said the two boats were both traveling north on the river when the bigger boat was speeding and ran over the smaller boat in a no-wake zone.
Kozel said a total of four people were involved between the two boats. A dog was in one of the boats and survived.
The occupants of the offending boat fled from the vessel, witnesses said.
A bystander chased down one of them, suspected to be the operator, and another reportedly left the scene in an Uber. A police canine and officers were also actively searching the area.
Kozel said one person was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries from the larger boat.
Fire officials and sheriff’s officials announced the Fox River was closed “indefinitely” between the Stratton Lock and Holiday Hills due to the incident. The river later reopened around 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
Stevenson remains held in custody and is likely to appear in Initial Appearance Court on Monday afternoon.
A LinkedIn profile for Stevenson said he is a Vice President at Stevenson Crane Service, Inc., based in Bolingbrook, which advertises itself as a leader in crane rentals, aerial and material handling rentals, and rigging and heavy haul services.
McHenry Fire Chief Steve Spraker called the incident “tragic” and said it was a reminder that emergencies can “take many forms and that firefighters must be prepared for all of them.”
Spraker said the fire district utilized side-scan sonar and conducted in-water search operations.
“These are highly specialized skills that require extensive training, countless hours of practice, and ongoing investment in equipment. We train long before these incidents occur so that when someone calls for help, our personnel are ready,” Spraker said.
“Our thoughts remain with the victim’s family and everyone affected by this tragedy. We are also grateful for the outstanding teamwork between all of the agencies that worked together throughout this difficult incident,” the fire chief said.