What to Know
Magdalena Maria Jabłońska was enjoying a boat ride with her husband in unincorporated McHenry County, Illinois, when tragedy struck. A boat speeding through a no-wake zone reportedly crashed into the couple’s boat.
The driver, 45-year-old Richard Stevenson, allegedly had a blood alcohol concentration three times the legal limit. His boat hit Jabłońska’s boat with such force that it decapitated her. Now Stevenson, who has a history of alcohol-related offenses, faces a homicide charge.
The accident reportedly occurred in the middle of the afternoon.
Per a release from the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office, the accident occurred around 2:30 p.m. on July 25, 2026. Emergency crews arrived at the scene at Fox River south of the McHenry Dam in McHenry and found two badly damaged vessels. Stevenson allegedly crashed a 31-foot Southbay pontoon into a 20-foot Crownline, killing 48-year-old Jabłońska.
By the time police arrived, two occupants from Stevenson’s boat reportedly fled the scene, but emergency responders found Stevenson nearby. He was transported to a nearby hospital, where blood tests revealed a BAC of 0.2, nearly three times the legal limit.
Stevenson is a repeat alcohol offender.
Per court documents obtained by WLS, multiple people alleged seeing Stevenson consuming alcohol earlier in the day. He reportedly took multiple shots of Fireball whiskey and drove the boat at 80 miles per hour before the crash.
Stevenson’s criminal history included three DUI arrests, multiple speeding tickets, three reckless driving offenses, and fleeing and eluding police.
“This man was a ticking time-bomb, and that bomb went off this past Saturday on the Fox River,” Deputy Chief Brian Miller shared in the attorney’s office’s release.
As someone pointed out in the Facebook comment section of the state’s attorney’s office, Stevenson’s history might be worse than it looks.
“Something a lot of people don’t know but when you see Reckless Driving asking with 3 precis DUI’S, chances are those were a DUI pleaded out to a reckless driving. This guy might be in his 6th or 7th DUI,” a comment suggested.
Jabłońska died at the scene.
The state’s attorney’s office called the woman’s injuries “catastrophic.” WLS reported Stevenson’s boat ran over Jabłońska, 48, and decapitated her. News of the woman’s death rocked the community.
“It’s terrible,” neighbor Jane Sexton told WLS. “It’s horrific. It’s a tragedy. It’s not just the people that were on the boats.”
Loved ones created a GoFundMe to honor Jabłońska’s memory.
“Magdalena was the sunshine in every place she went, and one of her favorite things to do was help dogs in need. I am starting a GoFundMe in her honor to donate to a dog shelter,” the fundraiser reads.
“Magdalena was always the sunshine wherever she went. As a U.S. Marine, it was natural that Magdalena was always helping someone in need.”
Prosecutors intend to hold Stevenson responsible for his actions.
“Our rivers and lakes should be places where families can safely enjoy time together, not places where the reckless and impaired can turn a summer day into a tragedy. No family should have to endure the unimaginable loss suffered in this case,” McHenry County State’s Attorney Randi L. Freese shared. “Our prayers go out to the victim’s family, and while nothing can undo the tragedy that occurred on the Fox River, our office is committed to pursuing justice for her, her loved ones, and our community.”
Stevenson faces two counts of aggravated DUI causing death and one count of reckless homicide.
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