Wisconsin man pleads guilty to DUI in Hainesville crash
A Wisconsin man pleaded guilty to being more than five times over the legal drinking limit when he plowed his vehicle into a Hainesville townhouse in October, sparking a fire that displaced three families.
Adam R. Bileck, 32, of Kenosha, was sentenced to 18 months in prison as part of the negotiated plea approved Friday in front of Judge Brian Hughes, Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Ben Dillon said.
Dillon said Bileck had a blood-alcohol level of .432 percent when he crashed his vehicle into a home in the 400 block of Patriot Drive. The state's legal blood-alcohol limit is .08 percent.
Bileck was facing up to six years in prison if convicted of aggravated driving under the influence, had his case gone to trial. Normally, a charge of aggravated driving under the influence carries a maximum of three years in prison, but attorneys said Bileck's lengthy criminal record in Illinois and Wisconsin doubled the possible prison term.
Bileck was remanded back into the Lake County jail following the plea deal. He will be transferred to the Illinois Department of Corrections this week.
Authorities say Bileck was driving an SUV south on Hainesville Road about 4 a.m. Oct. 25, when the vehicle crossed the centerline, hopped a curb, traveled about 500 feet, knocked down a township road sign, and crashed into the townhouse.
A gas meter in the townhouse ignited during the collision, authorities said, sparking a fire that gutted two units and seriously damaged a third.
No one was injured in the early morning fire, but the three families inside the townhouses were displaced by the blaze.
All three of the victims said in victim impact statements to the judge that their lives were completely uprooted and changed forever due to the crash and ensuing fire.
“It hurts. It's very sad. I know it could have been worse,” one victim impact statement read. “One thing I can say is that because of this, my family and I realize that despite this selfish act, we have been shown that there are a whole lot of other good people out there.”
Police said Bileck was not in the vehicle when authorities arrived. He was spotted about two hours later hiding under a pickup truck near the accident scene, officials said.
Bileck attempted to run away after being spotted, authorities said, but he was caught a short time later.
He was taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, then to Lake County jail following his release from the hospital.