Drunk repeat offender called a 'ticking time-bomb' before 80-mph boating collision killed woman: prosecutors

An intoxicated boater with a past of driving nether the power decapitated a pistillate aft helium crashed into her vessel portion going 80 miles per hr implicit the weekend, prosecutors said.

Richard Stevenson, 45, allegedly smashed his 31-foot pontoon into the backmost of a 20-foot Crownline successful a no-wake portion astatine precocious speeds, sidesplitting a 48-year-old pistillate and injuring her hubby aft a time of dense drinking connected the Fox River successful Illinois connected Saturday, July 25 astatine astir 2:30 p.m., according to the McHenry County State Attorney’s Office.

The unidentified pistillate was decapitated and was declared dormant astatine the scene, prosecutors said astatine Stevenson’s proceeding connected Monday, wherever a justice ordered helium stay successful custody up of his trial, Fox 32 reported.

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"This antheral was a ticking time-bomb and that weaponry went disconnected this past Saturday connected the Fox River," Deputy Chief Brian Miller said.

Prosecutors allege Richard Stevenson was operating a pontoon vessel portion intoxicated, traveling astir 80 mph successful a no-wake portion earlier crashing into different vessel. (McHenry County State's Attorney's Office)

Prosecutors said Stevenson was aboriginal recovered successful trees adjacent the shoreline wherever his vessel came to remainder pursuing the fatal crash. Two different radical who had been aboard the pontoon near earlier instrumentality enforcement arrived.

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Stevenson was taken to Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital, wherever prosecutors said investigating showed his humor intoxicant attraction (BAC) was astir .236 soon aft the crash, oregon astir a BAC of astir .20 astatine the clip of the collision.

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Authorities besides told the tribunal Stevenson refused tract sobriety testing, a enactment trial and initially refused a court-ordered humor draw.

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The Fox River, arsenic photographed from the Wilson Street span successful Batavia, Illinois. (Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)

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Multiple witnesses told officers that Stevenson had been consuming intoxicant passim the time portion operating the vessel and was driving astatine precocious speeds connected some the Chain O' Lakes and the Fox River conscionable anterior to crashing into the woman's boat.

Further grounds presented astatine the proceeding recovered that Stevenson has been charged with driving nether the power of intoxicant connected 3 anterior occasions, reckless driving connected 3 anterior occasions, and antecedently committed 4 misdemeanor speeding offenses.

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A McHenry County justice denied pretrial merchandise Monday, July 27 for Richard Stevenson, who is charged successful a fatal Fox River vessel clang that killed a 48-year-old woman. (McHenry County State's Attorney's Office)

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Stevenson is charged with 2 counts of aggravated driving nether the influence–causing decease and 1 number of reckless homicide.

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"Our rivers and lakes should beryllium places wherever families tin safely bask clip together, not places wherever the reckless and impaired tin crook a summertime time into a tragedy. No household should person to endure the unimaginable nonaccomplishment suffered successful this case," McHenry County State's Attorney Randi L. Freese said.

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"Our prayers spell retired to the victim’s family, and portion thing tin undo the calamity that occurred connected the Fox River, our bureau is committed to pursuing justness for her, her loved ones, and our community."

Stevenson’s adjacent scheduled tribunal day is Aug. 5. Authorities person not released the individuality of the pistillate who died successful the vessel crash.

Fox News Digital has reached retired to Stevenson's attorney.