Man faces 5th DUI charge after car crashes into utility pole

A 52-year-old Missouri man has been charged with his fifth driving under the influence arrest after a one-car crash near Hampshire and faces mandatory prison if convicted.

David E. Becker, of the 300 block of West Marvin Avenue, Owensville, recently was indicted by a Kane County grand jury on a felony charge of aggravated DUI/fifth offense, the most recent arrest occurring on Nov. 4, 2019 in Hampshire Township, according to Kane County court records.

According to a traffic crash report and court records, Becker was driving west on Route 72 in his 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser when he struck a ComEd utility pole at 1:18 p.m. He was taken to a hospital where a blood draw showed he was over the legal threshold of .08 blood-alcohol concentration.

According to an officer's report, Becker's blood serum was .420, which converts to a .36 BAC.

He also was cited for aggravated DUI/BAC of .16 or more, transportation of open alcohol, driving while license revoked, and no insurance, court records show. Information on Becker's four previous DUI cases was not immediately available.

Becker did not have any previous DUI arrests in Kane County. The Kane County sheriff's office, which made the initial arrest, did not have information on Becker's other cases.

The Kane County state's attorney's office has regularly enhanced charges against people in DUI arrests if additional information about their criminal history comes to light.

Becker is free on bond and is next due in court April 1, although that date could change with scaled back operations at the courthouse through April 20 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

If convicted of the most severe charge of his aggravated DUI/fifth, he faces a sentence of four to 15 years in prison with no chance of probation. A message left with Becker's defense attorney, Cary Dohman, was not returned.