McHenry Co. dad gets jail term for running over son

A McHenry County man was sentenced Friday to three months in jail after pleading guilty to allegations he accidentally ran over his 3-year-old son and fled the scene.

Daniel J. Uden, 37, of Woodstock, admitted guilt to failure to report an injury accident in connection with the July 2006 incident that left the boy with a broken leg.

Uden also was ordered to pay a $500 fine and serve two years probation. In return for the guilty plea, McHenry County prosecutors dismissed three other charges, including aggravated reckless driving and endangering the life or health of a child.

The incident occurred, police said, when Uden and the boy’s mother began arguing while driving through western McHenry County.

When the argument became heated, the boy’s mother got out of the minivan Uden was driving and either placed or mistakenly dropped the boy near the vehicle, authorities said.

“At the time, the defendant put the car in reverse and ran over (the boy’s) leg by accident,” Assistant McHenry County State’s Attorney Philip Hiscock said Friday.

Uden, police said, initially stopped and brought the boy and his mother back into the minivan. But he suddenly stopped the vehicle a short time later, got out and ran away, police said. He was arrested several hours later.

The boy’s mother, Christina A. Howell, 24, of Woodstock, last year pleaded guilty to endangering the life or health of a child for her part in the incident. She was sentenced to 18 months of nonreporting probation and ordered to pay $587 in fines and fees.