15 years for Aurora driver who killed Batavia man walking dog

Edward Cook still denies he has substance abuse problem, despite having killed a pedestrian and his dog last year in an alcohol- and drug-fueled crash in Batavia.

For that reason, Kane County Judge T. Jordan Gallagher on Friday ordered the 25-year-old Aurora man to spend the next 15 years in prison.

"I don't know what it's going to take to convince this man he has a booze or drug problem," Gallagher said. "If that's his attitude, I can take him off the streets."

Cook has never apologized publicly for running over 57-year-old David Long and Long's dog, Shadow, at 6:45 a.m. on July 29, 2009, after a night of using alcohol, marijuana and cocaine.

The two were killed instantly when Cook - on parole for a prior DUI conviction - lost control of a stolen car and drove onto a sidewalk on the 1000 block of Woodland Hills Road, not far from Long's home.

In a victim impact statement Friday, Long's widow Susan described the fatalities as a "senseless tragedy that will haunt me for the rest of my life."

"That afternoon, I entered an empty home for the first time. No husband. No dog," she said. "Each living day alone is a stark reminder of my loss."

Gallagher convicted Cook in May of charges including reckless homicide, aggravated DUI, and possession of a converted motor vehicle. But he found Cook not guilty of first-degree murder, a charge prosecutors argued was merited by the multiple felonies involved in the case.

At sentencing, Assistant State's Attorney Greg Sams highlighted Cook's extensive criminal record, and noted he recently denied having a substance-abuse problem to pre-sentence investigators, in asking the judge for a maximum 21 years.

In addition to a prior aggravated drunken driving conviction, Cook was found guilty as a juvenile of aggravated battery for picking up and throwing a girl to the ground at Northwest Suburban Academy in Arlington Heights. At 17, he was charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse for having sex with his 13-year-old girlfriend in Palatine, prosecutors said.

He has also faced charges of cannabis possession and theft, and was arrested in 2007 for punching his girlfriend in the face in a drunken rage, according to testimony.

"What we have here is a defendant who is potentially more dangerous than a gangbanger out on the street with a gun," Sams said.

Gallagher sentenced Cook to consecutive terms of 10 years and five years for the most serious charges. With credit for nearly a year served in the county jail, and potential early release, Cook will serve about 10 years, prosecutors said.

Long's immediate family said they were satisfied with the judge's decision, and hoped it would deter others from driving under the influence.

"Sadly, this is one of many stories that start with drinking and end in tragedy," Susan Long said.

Cook chose not to make a statement in court Friday. His family hung their heads during much of the hearing, and later declined to comment.