PRESS RELEASE 

November 12, 2019

MICHAEL SMITH SENTENCED TO NINE YEARS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS FOR AGGRAVATED DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL AND DRIVING ON A REVOKED LICENSE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Patrick D. Kenneally, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces that 51-year-old Michael E. Smith of Island Lake, was sentenced to nine years in the Illinois Department of Corrections by the Honorable Michael Coppedge for the offenses of Aggravated Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Driving on a Revoked License.

On November 2, 2014, the defendant went to the Twisted Moose Bar in McHenry and consumed ten beers and ten shots of liquor. The defendant then left and drove his Ford Ranger in the wrong lane of traffic on River Road and collided with a Dodge Neon containing four teenage occupants. Two of the teenagers in the Dodge Neon suffered great bodily as a result of the crash. The defendant later submitted to chemical testing, which revealed his blood alcohol level was .225. The defendant’s driving privileges have previously been revoked and he has three prior violations for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol.

The defendant is facing a mandatory term in the Department of Corrections based upon his prior convictions for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol. The defendant is also subject to truth in sentencing guidelines because of the great bodily harm suffered by the victims. The defendant will serve 7.65 years in prison under truth in sentencing guidelines.         

This case was investigated by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department and prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorneys Michael Combs and Judy Shammo.

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