Alleged Drunk Boater Held After 80 MPH Fox River Crash Kills Marine Veteran in No-Wake Zone
Prosecutors say Richard Stevenson ignored a passenger’s warning, drove a high-powered pontoon at full throttle, and shattered an innocent family’s afternoon on the water.
A posted no-wake zone should have been one of the safest stretches of the Fox River. Instead, prosecutors say it became the site of a horrifying and entirely preventable death.
Magdalena Jablonska, a 48-year-old U.S. Marine veteran from Des Plaines, was enjoying a Saturday afternoon on a smaller boat when a triple-engine pontoon allegedly approached from behind at nearly 80 mph. The larger vessel struck and traveled over her boat, killing her and seriously injuring the man beside her.
Richard M. Stevenson, 45, of Lisle, now faces two counts of aggravated driving under the influence causing death and one count of reckless homicide. A McHenry County judge ordered him detained before trial after concluding that his release would pose a “real and present threat” to the community.
For American families who spend summer weekends fishing, boating, or relaxing near the water, the allegations are chilling. Boats weighing thousands of pounds do not become harmless simply because they operate away from a highway. When alcohol, extreme speed, and ignored safety warnings come together, a recreational vessel can become a deadly weapon.
A Peaceful Saturday Turned Into a Scene of Destruction
Illinois Conservation Police responded at approximately 2:30 p.m. on July 25 to reports of a two-boat collision on the Fox River south of the McHenry Dam. The crash occurred near Riverside Drive and the 1800 block of South Fernwood Lane in unincorporated McHenry County.
Emergency crews found a severely damaged 20-foot Crownline and a 31-foot South Bay pontoon equipped with three outboard engines. The pontoon had left the water and crashed into trees along the western riverbank.
Prosecutors allege Stevenson was operating the pontoon at full throttle as it entered a marked no-wake zone. One of his passengers reportedly warned him to reduce his speed, but authorities say he continued traveling at nearly 80 mph.
A no-wake zone requires boat operators to move slowly enough that their vessels create little or no wake. Such restrictions commonly protect docks, smaller boats, swimmers, and congested sections of a waterway. Prosecutors are alleging behavior that was not slightly above a cautious speed but closer to highway velocity in an area specifically designed for slow movement.
The pontoon, allegedly, slammed into the rear of the Crownline, became airborne, and rode over the smaller vessel. Jablonska was seated in the passenger area. Prosecutors told the court that the impact decapitated her. The man aboard the Crownline survived but suffered serious injuries. Jablonska’s relatives later said her fiancé and dog were also injured.
The destruction did not end at the point of impact. The pontoon reportedly continued toward shore before crashing into timber on the west bank. Stevenson remained near the scene and was later taken to Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital.
Prosecutors Detail an Alleged Day of Drinking
The accusations become even more disturbing when placed against the timeline prosecutors presented during Stevenson’s detention hearing. A passenger allegedly told investigators that Stevenson purchased Fireball whiskey before getting on the water.
The witness claimed Stevenson drank two shots before the trip, consumed more alcohol at a bar or restaurant, and continued taking shots while operating the boat. The passenger reportedly saw Stevenson stumbling on a dock before he returned to the pontoon. Despite allegedly appearing impaired, Stevenson once again took control of a large boat powered by three engines.
According to court testimony reported by FOX 32 Chicago, that passenger also said Stevenson ignored repeated demands to slow down. The witness allegedly feared for personal safety as the pontoon raced through the river.
At the hospital, Stevenson reportedly refused field sobriety testing and a breath test and initially refused a blood draw. Prosecutors said later testing recorded a blood alcohol concentration of approximately 0.236 shortly after the collision. They estimated his level was about 0.20 when the boats collided.
Illinois sets the legal alcohol limit for watercraft operators at 0.08. A level of 0.20 would be two and a half times that threshold. The state’s boating safety law prohibits operating or physically controlling a watercraft while impaired. The law also permits a refusal to take chemical tests to be introduced as evidence in related proceedings.
A witness who found Stevenson after the crash reportedly told police that Stevenson admitted he had been operating the pontoon and drinking. Prosecutors said he cried and declared that his life was over. By then, Jablonska’s life had already been taken.
Magdalena Jablonska Served Her Country and Cared for Others
The McHenry County Coroner’s Office identified the victim three days after the collision. Preliminary autopsy findings showed blunt-force injuries to her head and body. Additional testing remained underway.
Jablonska had immigrated to the Chicago area from Poland before joining the U.S. Marine Corps after high school. Her family remembered her as a woman who served her country, loved animals, and regularly helped people without demanding anything in return. “She would go above and beyond for anyone,” her sister, Michelle Macias, told NBC Chicago.
Her relatives said she frequently supported dog shelters. They now hope to raise money for animals in her memory while demanding accountability for the conduct that allegedly ended her life. The contrast is painful. Jablonska devoted part of her life to serving others. Prosecutors say she died because another person treated a public waterway like a personal racetrack.
A Troubling Driving Record Raises Hard Questions
Prosecutors did not present the Fox River crash as Stevenson’s first encounter with allegations involving alcohol, excessive speed, or reckless operation. They cited three previous DUI cases, including two reported convictions, as well as three reckless-driving cases, fleeing-and-eluding offenses, and four misdemeanor speeding charges.
Court records also reportedly show a 2023 speeding case involving a vehicle traveling 26 to 34 mph over the speed limit. CBS Chicago reported that Stevenson had also received a citation for careless boat operation in Florida in 2022. That case was resolved after he paid a penalty. Assistant State’s Attorney Brian Miller told the court that the history showed a continuing public danger.
“This man was a ticking time-bomb, and that bomb went off this past Saturday on the Fox River,” Miller said, according to court reporting. The allegations leave a question many Americans will recognize: How many warnings, arrests, and convictions should occur before dangerous conduct produces an irreversible loss?
Traffic penalties can appear routine when viewed separately. A speeding case here, a reckless-driving conviction there, and another alcohol-related arrest can disappear into a long court record. Jablonska’s death shows why those patterns deserve serious attention.
Judge Rejects GPS and Alcohol Monitoring as Inadequate
Stevenson’s defense attorney, Patrick Walsh, asked the judge to release him under strict conditions. The defense proposed GPS monitoring, home confinement, continuous alcohol testing, a ban on drinking, and an order preventing Stevenson from operating a boat.
Walsh said Stevenson is married, supports three children, and has regularly appeared for previous court proceedings. Stevenson remains legally presumed innocent, and prosecutors must prove every charge beyond a reasonable doubt.
Judge Cynthia D. Lamb nevertheless ruled that the proposed restrictions would not adequately protect the public. She cited the alleged speed, alcohol consumption, ignored passenger warning, no-wake-zone violation, and Stevenson’s history of traffic-related offenses.
Illinois no longer uses traditional cash bail, so the decision means Stevenson cannot simply pay for release. He will remain in the McHenry County Jail while the prosecution continues, unless a court changes the detention order.
If convicted of operating a watercraft under the influence in a case resulting in death, Stevenson could face a Class 2 felony sentence. Illinois law provides a prison range of three to 14 years when incarceration is imposed.
His next court appearance is scheduled for August 5. Illinois Conservation Police continue to seek photographs, videos, and witnesses who may have observed either vessel before the collision.
