Richard Stevenson, a 45-year-old executive from Lisle, Illinois, has been denied pretrial release and ordered held in jail following a fatal, alcohol-fueled boat crash on the Fox River near McHenry.
The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon, July 25, 2026, and Stevenson made his first court appearance on Monday, July 27, 2026. He faces multiple felony charges, including reckless homicide involving a watercraft and aggravated driving under the influence (DUI) causing death. Stevenson was operating a high-powered, 30-foot pontoon boat equipped with three outboard motors. Witnesses and passengers stated he was traveling at full throttle estimated at 80 miles per hour through a designated no-wake zone. He ran directly over a smaller Crownline boat. A 48-year-old female passenger on the smaller boat was killed instantly and decapitated by the impact. Her husband, who was driving, was hospitalized in critical condition and placed on life support.
Court documents allege Stevenson was drinking Fireball whiskey throughout the day and stopped at a bar for more shots shortly before the crash. A hospital blood draw later revealed his blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was 0.20 to 0.236, nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08. Following the collision, Stevenson's boat crashed into the riverbank timber. He was found in the shoreline trees, while two female passengers on his boat fled the scene before police arrived.
Prosecutors successfully argued for pretrial detention by detailing Stevenson's 20-year history of dangerous driving. His record includes three prior DUI arrests, three reckless driving convictions, three convictions for fleeing and eluding police, and multiple severe speeding violations. He was also cited for careless boat operation in Miami-Dade County, Florida, in 2022. Stevenson is a Vice President at Bolingbrook-based Stevenson Crane Service, Inc.
His professional social media accounts were taken down immediately following the crash. A McHenry County judge ruled that electronic monitoring or home confinement could not protect the public from Stevenson, calling him a "ticking time bomb". He remains incarcerated at the McHenry County Jail and is scheduled to return to court for a preliminary hearing on August 5, 2026. The Illinois Conservation Police are actively leading the ongoing investigation and are asking anyone with cell phone video, security footage, or eyewitness details to submit an online report.
The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon, July 25, 2026, and Stevenson made his first court appearance on Monday, July 27, 2026. He faces multiple felony charges, including reckless homicide involving a watercraft and aggravated driving under the influence (DUI) causing death. Stevenson was operating a high-powered, 30-foot pontoon boat equipped with three outboard motors. Witnesses and passengers stated he was traveling at full throttle estimated at 80 miles per hour through a designated no-wake zone. He ran directly over a smaller Crownline boat. A 48-year-old female passenger on the smaller boat was killed instantly and decapitated by the impact. Her husband, who was driving, was hospitalized in critical condition and placed on life support.
Court documents allege Stevenson was drinking Fireball whiskey throughout the day and stopped at a bar for more shots shortly before the crash. A hospital blood draw later revealed his blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was 0.20 to 0.236, nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08. Following the collision, Stevenson's boat crashed into the riverbank timber. He was found in the shoreline trees, while two female passengers on his boat fled the scene before police arrived.
Prosecutors successfully argued for pretrial detention by detailing Stevenson's 20-year history of dangerous driving. His record includes three prior DUI arrests, three reckless driving convictions, three convictions for fleeing and eluding police, and multiple severe speeding violations. He was also cited for careless boat operation in Miami-Dade County, Florida, in 2022. Stevenson is a Vice President at Bolingbrook-based Stevenson Crane Service, Inc.
His professional social media accounts were taken down immediately following the crash. A McHenry County judge ruled that electronic monitoring or home confinement could not protect the public from Stevenson, calling him a "ticking time bomb". He remains incarcerated at the McHenry County Jail and is scheduled to return to court for a preliminary hearing on August 5, 2026. The Illinois Conservation Police are actively leading the ongoing investigation and are asking anyone with cell phone video, security footage, or eyewitness details to submit an online report.
