Left inset: Magdalena Jablonska (Ryan-Parke Funeral Home). Right inset: Richard Stevenson (McHenry County). Background: Surveillance video allegedly captures Richard Stevenson traveling at high speed on the Fox River in McHenry County, Ill., before the crash that killed Magdalena Jablonska (WLS).
An Illinois business executive is accused in a civil lawsuit of causing a deadly boating crash that killed a woman who was out on the water with her fiancé, after allegedly driving his pontoon boat while intoxicated and in a “reckless and dangerous” manner.
Richard Stevenson, 45, was allegedly traveling 75 mph through a no-wake zone on July 25 when his 31-foot tritoon — outfitted with three 500-horsepower engines — struck the boat carrying Magdalena Jablonska, according to a complaint filed by her family.
The lawsuit, obtained by the Lake & McHenry County Scanner and the Chicago Tribune, says Jablonska, a 48-year-old U.S. Marine veteran, was aboard a 20-foot Crownline on the Fox River in McHenry County and was seated “within inches” of her fiancé when she was decapitated.
Jablonska’s fiancé, Alan Telmni, is listed as a plaintiff in the civil action. Stevenson is also facing criminal charges connected to the fatal crash.
“(Telmni) was not only physically struck by the boat on his left side, but he saw his beloved fiancé decapitated,” the complaint states, according to the Tribune.
The filing alleges Stevenson was operating the vessel while drunk and at such a hazardous speed that the bow was lifted “significantly upright over the water level,” limiting his ability to see boats and people directly ahead of him.
“The investigation determined that the Southbay pontoon, allegedly operated by Stevenson, struck the rear of the Crownline at an extremely high rate of speed before riding over the smaller vessel,” the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office said in a press release. “Following the crash, Stevenson was located in the trees off the shoreline near where his pontoon had come to rest.”
Two other people were allegedly on the pontoon with Stevenson and left the scene before law enforcement arrived. Authorities transported Stevenson to a local hospital, where blood tests revealed a blood alcohol concentration of approximately .200, according to prosecutors.
Stevenson collided with Jablonska’s vessel with “such force and violence” that his pontoon boat “literally flew over the top of it and, in the process, one or more of the outboard sterndrives, pontoon tubes, or attached propellers did, in fact, cause a decapitation injury, thus killing [Jablonska], and causing physical and mental injuries to [Telmni],” the complaint adds.
Stevenson, who was reportedly fired from his job as an executive at a local crane company, faces charges of aggravated driving under the influence and reckless homicide in connection with the crash.
During his detention hearing, prosecutors said Stevenson had been charged with DUI at least three times previously. He has also been charged with reckless driving at least three times and four speeding offenses.
“This man was a ticking time-bomb and that bomb went off this past Saturday on the Fox River,” said Deputy Chief Brian Miller in a statement.
The post Woman boating with fiance decapitated ‘within inches’ of him when business exec on pontoon boat ‘flew over’ the couple’s vessel while going 75 mph: Lawsuit first appeared on Law & Crime.
