Woman gets 8 years for DUI crash that killed 2 people in Sugar Grove

A Batavia woman was sentenced Monday to eight years in prison for a drunk-driving crash in 2023 that left two people dead.

Melissa J. Hill, 58, formerly of Sugar Grove, pleaded guilty in June to two felony counts of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol — causing death. She agreed to let a judge determine the sentence.

The crash happened around 11:09 p.m. July 21, 2023, on Bliss Road near Seavey Road.

Hill was driving a BMX X5 south on Bliss, crossed a double-yellow no-passing line, and hit a Chevrolet Silverado driven by Jonathan Couch, 54, of Sugar Grove. Their vehicles then struck others.

Couch died the next day. His passenger, 56-year-old Teresa Haidl, died a day after that.

Hill had a blood alcohol content of .235, nearly three times the legal limit, a Kane County deputy testified Friday.

Kane County Judge David Kliment cited the severity of the crash; the fact Hill sped up to 97 mph a second before the crash; that it involved four vehicles, and that several people were injured.

He also said he took into account that, while free on bond, Hill had violated court orders not to consume alcohol and not to drive. A pretrial services officer gave evidence that Hill had failed several drug and alcohol tests.

The judge discounted testimony from a psychiatrist who said Hill could not contemplate the seriousness of drinking, then driving, on the night of the crash because she’s an alcoholic who had undiagnosed eating and post-traumatic stress disorders.

But Kliment also noted that Hill had no history of committing crimes.

Haidl’s daughter, Katie Haidl, testified Friday about seeing her badly injured mother in the hospital, and how she and her brother had to decide to remove her from life support.

“This is about the life that was taken from her and the life that was taken from us,” Katie Haidl said. “It’s about all the conversations we’ll never have.”

“You chose to drink away from home … in this event, you are not a victim of alcoholism,” said Couch’s sister Lindsay Lederer, reading a victim-impact letter on behalf of their mother.

Hill told the judge, “The fault is all mine, and I accept full responsibility. There are no words that can make it right … the words ‘I’m sorry’ are just too small.”

She must serve 85% of the sentence before being eligible for parole.

ssarkauskas@dailyherald.com