A lawsuit was filed Wednesday accusing a former company exec of causing a drunken, high-speed boat crash that resulted in a man watching his U.S. Marine veteran fiancée being decapitated on the Fox River near McHenry.
The lawsuit was filed in McHenry County Circuit Court on Wednesday afternoon by Chicago-based law firm GWC Injury Lawyers.
The suit names 45-year-old Lisle resident Richard Stevenson, also known as Ricky Stevenson, as the sole defendant.
The legal action is brought by the estate of Magdalena Jablonska, 48, of Des Plaines, as well as the woman’s fiancé, Des Plaines resident Alan Telmini.
The complaint said Jablonska was a passenger in a Crownline runabout motorboat that was operated by Telmini on the Fox River in unincorporated McHenry on July 25.
Stevenson was operating a newer model South Bay tri-toon pontoon boat equipped with three 500-horsepower outboard motors.
Telmini was operating the Crownline boat within a designated no-wake zone on a narrow strip of the Fox River “at a very slow rate of speed” near the easterly shoreline, the complaint said.
The complaint said Stevenson was operating the South Bay at speeds of more than 75 mph as he approached the same area where the Crownline was traveling.
Stevenson operated his boat in a manner and speed that the front end of his vessel was “significantly upright over the water level, so as to compromise the Defendant’s ability to see watercraft vehicles and persons that were directly in the path,” the complaint said.
The suit also alleged that Stevenson had consumed alcoholic beverages that “significantly compromised” his ability to operate the boat safely.
He drove his high-powered boat into the couple’s boat with “such force and violence” that the South Bay boat rode up the stern of the victims’ boat and “literally flew over the top of it” and the outboard sterndrives, pontoon tubes or attached propellers caused a decapitation injury to Jablonska, the suit said.
Telmini also suffered physical injury, as well as emotional distress and post-traumatic stress disorder, the complaint said.
“At said time and place, when this violent impact occurred, [Telmini] was not only physically struck by the boat on his left side, but he saw his beloved fiancé decapitated while she sat within inches of his person.
The suit says Stevenson was careless and negligent by operating under the influence of alcohol, failing to keep a proper lookout, operating at a greater than reasonable speed and failing to yield the right-of-way.
His actions resulted in Jablonska’s death from “severe and debilitating injuries.” The suit says Jablonska’s two brothers, two sisters and parents have suffered the loss of her “continued love, affection, support and society.”
The estate’s special administrator is one of Jablonska’s sisters. The three-count lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount of damage in excess of the $50,000 threshold.
A press conference is set to be held on Thursday morning at the GWC Injury Lawyers office in Chicago.
A visitation for family and friends is set to be held from 3-8 p.m. on August 9 for Jablonska, who “left this world far too soon” and was a proud United States Marine veteran “whose strength, loyalty, and determination carried through every part of her life,” according to her obituary.
“She had a generous heart and was the kind of person who always put others before herself. Whether it was helping family, caring for friends, or rescuing animals, she never hesitated to give whatever she had to someone in need. She never met a stranger for long because she had a way of making people feel like family,” her obituary said.
The law firm representing the estate of Jablonska said they are seeking to “hold all responsible parties accountable” following the crash where the couple was enjoying an afternoon on the Fox River. The couple’s dog, Sasha, was on Jablonska’s lap and survived.
Attorneys Louis C. Cairo and Michael D. Krause say their law firm’s investigation “extends well beyond” the actions of Stevenson.
Boaters and residents observed the same offending boat speeding excessively on the Chain O’ Lakes on numerous prior occasions, attorneys say.
“The civil justice system exists to hold negligent parties accountable, and we intend to pursue every avenue available under Illinois law. Our mission is to uncover every fact and identify every party whose conduct may have contributed to this tragedy,” Cairo said.
GWC said they will retain boating safety specialists, accident reconstruction experts and marine engineering consultants to evaluate the circumstances surrounding the collision.
Stevenson is facing charges of one count of reckless homicide, a Class 3 felony, and two counts of aggravated driving under the influence causing a crash involving death, a Class 2 felony.
Stevenson appeared in court on Tuesday for a hearing on a motion for discovery and preservation of evidence — a day earlier than what was initially set for his second court date following his Initial Appearance Court hearing on July 27.
Law firm Nold & Walsh in Crystal Lake, which is representing Stevenson, filed the motions seeking to preserve all evidence against their client and requesting the state’s attorney’s office to produce evidence that is “essential and material” to the preparation of his defense.
McHenry County Judge Mark Gerhardt granted the request in part.
The judge issued an order mandating that members of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the McHenry County Conservation Police, the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, the Antioch Police Department, the Lake Villa Police Department, the McHenry Police Department and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office preserve any video recordings and audio recordings as part of the investigation.
The order also mandates that any DUI kits be maintained and preserved for future testing, investigation, analysis or other evidentiary purposes.
Stevenson is scheduled to appear in court again on August 21 at 9 a.m. for a preliminary hearing. He remains detained in the McHenry County Jail.
A LinkedIn profile for Stevenson said he was a Vice President at Stevenson Crane Service, Inc., based in Bolingbrook, and the company says it has since terminated his employment.
Magdalena’s obituary said she “loved deeply and fiercely.”
“Her family meant everything to her, and those fortunate enough to know her will remember her for her compassion, resilience, sense of humor, and her ability to make everyone around her feel loved. Her kindness touched countless lives, and the memories she created will live on forever in the hearts of those who knew and loved her,” her obituary said.
Prosecutors said that first responders had not immediately located all of the victim’s remains following the crash.
The Nunda Rural Fire Protection District and McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responded around 8:45 p.m. on July 29, days after the crash, to the 2100 block of Colby Drive in unincorporated McHenry after someone found a partial human head.
Rein said his office has not been able to positively identify the remains that were found yet.
“We understand how difficult this uncertainty is for the families and loved ones awaiting answers, and our team is working diligently and with the utmost care to establish a positive identification as quickly as possible. We appreciate the public’s patience and understanding as this process continues,” Rein said.
One neighbor told Lake and McHenry County Scanner at the scene on Colby Drive that they would be relieved if the remains were found because it would help with closure.
Multiple witnesses reported to officers that Stevenson had been consuming alcohol throughout the day while operating the vessel and was driving at high rates of speed on both the Chain O’ Lakes and the Fox River just prior to crashing into the Crownline, prosecutors said.
“This man was a ticking time-bomb and that bomb went off this past Saturday on the Fox River,” McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office Deputy Chief Brian Miller said during the hearing.
GWC Injury Lawyers say that Jablonska immigrated from Poland and attended Lane Tech High School before obtaining her bachelor’s degree in interior design from the Illinois Institute of Art.
Madzia, as she was known by her family, then joined the U.S. Marine Corps. She served for six years and was honorably discharged.
Jablonska was later employed with ServePro and was working as a Lead Project Accountant where she had many friends and co-workers. “She was the perfect example of one who lived the American Dream.”
Anyone who witnessed the events leading up to the crash or has useful surveillance video should complete an online incident report form to assist Illinois Conservation Police in the investigation.
Magdalena’s family says they hope the tragedy will lead to meaningful improvements in boating safety throughout Illinois.
They are calling for increased enforcement of boating safety laws, stricter speed restrictions in congested waterways, enhanced penalties for operating boats while impaired, additional resources for law enforcement patrolling recreational waterways and stronger regulations governing high-performance recreational vessels.
“Although her life was tragically cut short, the love she gave so freely will never be forgotten. Her legacy lives on through the kindness she shared, the lives she touched, and the family and friends who will carry her memory with them every day,” her family said in her obituary.