A U.S. Marine veteran who was killed when a speeding pontoon boat plowed into her family’s vessel on the Fox River last weekend has been identified as Magdalena Jablonska, a 48-year-old who immigrated to Chicago from Poland, her grieving family said. The suspect, 45-year-old Richard Stevenson, faces charges after prosecutors described him as a “ticking time bomb” with a criminal record stretching back more than two decades.
Jablonska was out on the water on Saturday, July 25, with loved ones when Stevenson slammed into their boat from behind at 80 mph, according to authorities. Prosecutors say he was both drunk and speeding in a slow zone at the time of the crash in McHenry County, Illinois. Jablonska was killed, while her fiancé was critically injured and her dog was also hurt. His blood alcohol content was twice the legal limit, prosecutors said.
Her sister, Michelle Macias, remembered her as a devoted and generous person who put others ahead of herself. Macias said her sister was “the most selfless and kind person you would ever meet,” adding that she “never [did] anything for herself, always for everybody else.” According to Macias, Jablonska enlisted in the Marines immediately after graduating from high school and had a deep love of dogs, often visiting shelters to see the puppies.
A History of Reckless Driving
Stevenson, who worked for the family-owned Stevenson Crane Company in Bolingbrook, is facing charges of aggravated DUI and reckless homicide. Court records show he faces two counts of aggravated DUI causing death along with one count of reckless homicide.
Prosecutors laid out a lengthy criminal history to justify holding him without bond. According to court records, Stevenson’s criminal past includes two prior DUI convictions, three convictions for reckless driving, three convictions for fleeing and eluding police, and four misdemeanor convictions for speeding, with his record dating back more than 20 years. It was that pattern that led prosecutors to call him a “ticking time bomb.”
The details prosecutors described from the day of the crash were harrowing. Witnesses reportedly saw Stevenson pick up a “bucket of Fireball whisky bottles” and consume the alcohol while he operated the pontoon boat. Prosecutors say he made a stop at a bar where he consumed two additional shots prior to the crash. They characterized the outing as “alcohol-fueled,” saying he sped through the recreational waterway.
Following the crash, Stevenson told another witness he had consumed alcohol and said his life was finished, according to prosecutors. He remained at the scene and was later transported to Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital, where he allegedly refused blood tests and urine tests.
Investigation and Court Proceedings
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responded to a boat accident involving injuries in the 1800 block of Fernwood Lane along the Fox River on the day of the crash. Investigators from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Police Department then assumed responsibility for the case and continued the investigation.
Stevenson was ordered to be detained until trial. His next court date is Aug. 5, and he continues to be held in jail.
Lake County Sheriff John D. Idleburg issued a lengthy statement Tuesday addressing the tragedy. He said he was frustrated and saddened by what he described as reckless and preventable actions on the Fox River that claimed one life and critically injured another person. He said the victims were simply enjoying time on the region’s recreational waterways and offered his condolences while hoping for the injured person’s recovery.
Stevenson Crane Company also released a statement offering condolences to the victims’ families. The company said Stevenson worked in its equipment sales department, held no leadership role and that his employment had been terminated. The company emphasized that the crash was not connected to any official company activity.
A Family Turns Grief Into Giving
For Jablonska’s loved ones, the loss has been devastating. Family members described her as a bright presence who was always ready to help others, a trait they said came naturally to her as a Marine. Macias said her sister always went beyond all limits for the people in her life.
In keeping with her lifelong devotion to animals, Jablonska’s family is now raising money for animals in the aftermath of her death. They have also expressed hope that Stevenson will be held accountable so that no one else is harmed. As Macias put it, the family is placing its faith in the justice system to “do right by her so nobody else gets hurt.”
Authorities have not released additional details about the condition of the injured fiancé. The case remains under investigation as it heads toward Stevenson’s next scheduled court appearance.