A man who was allegedly drunk driving a pontoon boat at excessive speeds on the Fox River in Illinois, caused an accident that decapitated a woman on another boat.
People who live in the area caught video of the suspect, Richard Stevenson, speeding up and down the river throughout the day, even though he was in a no-wake zone.
After his arrest, it was discovered that he was over the legal limit for alcohol.
Such a needless tragedy.
CBS News reports:
Lisle man charged in fatal 2-boat collision on Fox River near McHenry County
A man has been charged in the deadly boat crash on Fox River near McHenry County on Saturday afternoon.
Officials say 45-year-old Richard Stevenson of Lisle was taken into custody around 4:30 a.m. on Sunday and was charged with reckless homicide and aggravated driving under the influence.
Video shared by neighbors caught how fast the pontoon Stevenson was allegedly operating was traveling before it hit another boat, killing a person on board. Neighbors say the boat was going about 70 miles per hour.
They said when they heard about the deadly accident, they weren’t surprised to see the involved pontoon was at the center of the investigation.
Trevor Morris says he was outside swinging his daughter when he heard the boat speed past where they were along the Fox River. Another neighbor shared video showing the same pontoon also zooming by. That video was shot a minute before they say it collided with another boat downriver around 3 p.m. on Saturday…
Two people were on the boat that was hit. The boat was left with extensive damage. One person died while the other was taken in critical condition. CBS News Chicago learned that the person killed was a woman. Her identity was not released as of Sunday night.
WIFR News has more on the driver’s alcohol use:
Stevenson was found in the trees near the shoreline where his pontoon had came to rest, according to authorities. Two other occupants on the pontoon reportedly left the scene before law enforcement arrived.
Authorities say Stevenson was taken to the Northwestern Hospital in McHenry where tests revealed a blood alcohol concentration of .200. The legal limit in Illinois is .08.
Witnesses told officers Stevenson had been drinking alcohol throughout the day while driving on both the Chain O’ Lakes and the Fox River at high rates of speed.
See a video report below:
ALERT: Prolific DUI driver decapitates a woman when he was allegedly drunk driving a pontoon boat 80 MPH in a no-wake zone.
Richard Stevenson, 45, was seen flying across the Fox River in Illinois in his 30-foot pontoon boat, expected to be traveling 80 MPH.
Stevenson was seen… pic.twitter.com/jUpeazIdMO
— E X X ➠A L E R T S (@ExxAlerts) July 28, 2026
Your heart breaks for the family of the victim.
The only good news is that this man will probably never have the chance to drive a boat again.
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