Elburn man gets 7 years prison in DUI crash that claimed motorcyclist's leg

An Elburn man recently was sentenced to seven years in prison for driving drunk in May 2014 and crashing into a motorcyclist, causing him to have his left leg amputated.

Quinn Gabnay, 46, was convicted in June by Kane County Judge D.J. Tegeler of four counts of felony aggravated DUI. According to prosecutors, Gabnay was driving his Dodge Ram pickup truck in rural Kane County on Green Road just south of Smith Road near Elburn at about 5 p.m. May 17, 2014, when he crossed the centerline and collided with the victim, who was riding his Harley-Davidson.

The motorcyclist tried to avoid being hit by moving to the shoulder, but was struck anyway, prosecutors said. The impact severed the motorcyclist's left leg below the knee. He called 911 and applied a tourniquet to his leg but it was unable to be saved and he now wears a prosthetic left leg, prosecutors said.

Gabnay has a blood-alcohol concentration of .192 - nearly 2.5 times the legal threshold - and must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence, which is nearly six years.

"This crash highlights the dangers of driving while intoxicated," State's Attorney Joe McMahon said. "In fact, the victim very easily could have been killed. I hope this sentence is a clear message to everyone that the consequences of drunken driving are quite severe."