Left inset: Magdalena Jablonska (Ryan-Parke Funeral Home). Right inset: Richard Stevenson (McHenry County). Background: Surveillance video allegedly shows Richard Stevenson speeding on Fox River in McHenry County, Ill., before killing Magdalena Jablonska (WLS).
An Illinois business executive killed a woman boating with her fiance after he "flew over the top" of their vessel with his pontoon boat, which he was driving in a "reckless and dangerous" manner while intoxicated, a lawsuit alleges.
Richard Stevenson, 45, was going 75 mph in a no-wake zone when he killed Magdalena Jablonska on July 25 with his 31-foot tritoon equipped with three 500-horsepower engines, according to a legal complaint filed by her family.
The complaint, which was obtained by the Lake & McHenry County Scanner and Chicago Tribune, says Jablonska, a 48-year-old U.S. Marine veteran, was on a 20-foot Crownline boat and "sat within inches" of her fiance when she was decapitated. They were on the Fox River in McHenry County.
Jablonska's fiance, Alan Telmni, is named as a plaintiff in the lawsuit. Stevenson is also facing criminal charges for the crash.
"(Telmni) was not only physically struck by the boat on his left side, but he saw his beloved fiancé decapitated," the complaint says, according to the Tribune.
Stevenson was drunkenly operating his boat at such a dangerous speed and in such a manner that the front end of it was "significantly upright over the water level, so as to compromise the defendant's ability to see watercraft vehicles and persons that were directly in the path," the complaint says.
"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," a McHenry County State's Attorney press release says. "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.