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Drunk repeat offender called a 'ticking time-bomb' before 80-mph boating collision killed woman: prosecutors
By Sarah Rumpf-Whitten
Published July 28, 2026
An intoxicated boater with a history of driving under the influence decapitated a woman after he crashed into her boat while going 80 miles per hour over the weekend, prosecutors said.
Richard Stevenson, 45, allegedly smashed his 31-foot pontoon into the back of a 20-foot Crownline in a no-wake zone at high speeds, killing a 48-year-old woman and injuring her husband after a day of heavy drinking on the Fox River in Illinois on Saturday, July 25 at approximately 2:30 p.m., according to the McHenry County State Attorney’s Office.
The unidentified woman was decapitated and was declared dead at the scene, prosecutors said at Stevenson’s hearing on Monday, where a judge ordered he remain in custody ahead of his trial, Fox 32 reported.
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"This man was a ticking time-bomb and that bomb went off this past Saturday on the Fox River," Deputy Chief Brian Miller said.
Prosecutors allege Richard Stevenson was operating a pontoon boat while intoxicated, traveling about 80 mph in a no-wake zone before crashing into another vessel. (McHenry County State's Attorney's Office)
Prosecutors said Stevenson was later found in trees near the shoreline where his boat came to rest following the fatal crash. Two other people who had been aboard the pontoon left before law enforcement arrived.
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Stevenson was taken to Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital, where prosecutors said testing showed his blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was approximately .236 shortly after the crash, or approximately a BAC of about .20 at the time of the collision.
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Authorities also told the court Stevenson refused field sobriety testing, a breath test and initially refused a court-ordered blood draw.
The Fox River, as photographed from the Wilson Street bridge in Batavia, Illinois. (Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
Multiple witnesses told officers that Stevenson had been consuming alcohol throughout the day while operating the boat and was driving at high speeds on both the Chain O' Lakes and the Fox River just prior to crashing into the woman's boat.
Further evidence presented at the hearing found that Stevenson has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol on three prior occasions, reckless driving on three prior occasions, and previously committed four misdemeanor speeding offenses.
A McHenry County judge denied pretrial release Monday, July 27 for Richard Stevenson, who is charged in a fatal Fox River boat crash that killed a 48-year-old woman. (McHenry County State's Attorney's Office)
Stevenson is charged with two counts of aggravated driving under the influence–causing death and one count of reckless homicide.
"Our rivers and lakes should be places where families can safely enjoy time together, not places where the reckless and impaired can turn a summer day into a tragedy. No family should have to endure the unimaginable loss suffered in this case," McHenry County State's Attorney Randi L. Freese said.
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"Our prayers go out to the victim’s family, and while nothing can undo the tragedy that occurred on the Fox River, our office is committed to pursuing justice for her, her loved ones, and our community."
Stevenson’s next scheduled court date is Aug. 5. Authorities have not released the identity of the woman who died in the boat crash.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Stevenson's attorney.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/drunk-repeat-offender-called-ticking-time-bomb-80-mph-boating-collision-killed-woman-prosecutors