Drunken driver sentenced to 6 years for fatal McHenry crash
A 22-year-old man was sentenced this week to six years in prison for driving drunk, striking a utility pole and killing his passenger.
Eduardo J. Figueroa-Martinez, formerly of McHenry, was arrested and charged with four counts of aggravated DUI after the Dec. 26, 2017 crash that killed Jose Luis Ortiz Reyes, 22, of Wonder Lake, who was ejected from Figueroa-Martinez' 2013 Ford Fusion.
McHenry police responded at 12:25 a.m. for a report of a vehicle that struck a pole on the 6900 block of Route 120 between Martin and East Wonder Lake roads.
Ortiz Reyes was pronounced dead later that morning at Centegra Hospital in McHenry.
Prosecutors said Figueroa-Martinez admitted to drinking several beers and using cocaine before the crash.
Figueroa-Martinez pleaded guilty in July 2019 to one count of aggravated DUI in exchange for less severe charges' being dismissed, according to court records. He faced a sentence ranging from three to 14 years in prison when sentenced Wednesday by Judge Michael Coppedge.
Figueroa-Martinez must serve 85%, or a little more than four years, of his prison term. He gets credit for nearly 21 months in the McHenry County jail while his case was pending.
Figueroa-Martinez also must pay $2,184 in court fines and fees.