Island Lake Man Gets 9 Years In DUI Crash That Injured 2 Teens

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL — Patrick Kenneally, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announced Tuesday that 51-year-old Michael E. Smith, from Island Lake, has been sentenced by McHenry County Judge Michael Coppedge to nine years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for aggravated DUI (alcohol) and driving on a revoked license back in November 2014. According to a release from the state's attorney's office, Smith went to the Twisted Moose Bar in McHenry on Nov. 2, 2014 and is accused of consuming 10 beers and 10 shots of liquor before leaving the bar and driving his Ford Ranger into the wrong lane of traffic on River Road. That's when he hit a Dodge Neon with four teens inside, according to the release.

According to the state's attorney's office, two of the teens in the Dodge Neon suffered serious injuries as a result of the crash, and chemical testing revealed smith's blood alcohol level was .225. His driving privileges have previously been revoked, and he has three prior violations of driving under the influence of alcohol, according to the release.

The McHenry County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case, and it was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorneys Michael Combs and Judy Shammo.