From the State’s Attorney:
SERGIO ESQUIVEL SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS IN THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS FOR AGGRAVATED DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office announces that on February 26, 2025, Sergio Esquivel, of Marengo, IL, was sentenced to 5 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the charge of Aggravated Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, to be served at 85%.
Esquivel entered his negotiated plea before the Honorable Judge Mark Gerhardt.
On September 22, 2021, at 8:15 pm, Esquivel was driving his Dodge Challenger westbound on Rt. 176 in Woodstock, IL at 70 mph, above the posted speed limit.
Esquivel’s wife was in the front passenger seat.
Esquivel swerved into oncoming traffic, striking a Mazda sedan travelling eastbound.
The Dodge Challenger sustained severe damage from the collision, which also caused his passenger’s death.
The occupants of the Mazda were taken to a nearby hospital and treated for serious, but non-life-threatening, injuries.
Esquivel’s BAC was determined to be .20 shortly after the crash.
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office again recognizes that those that drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs continue to destroy the lives of so many families in our community.
This senseless and tragic death was entirely preventable.
Our office continues to remain committed to the prosecution of all those that drive under the influence and to seeking justice for the victims and their families.
This case was successfully prosecuted by McHenry County State’s Attorney Special Prosecutor William Bruce. The State’s Attorney’s Office commends the diligent efforts of the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office for their thorough investigation into this tragic traffic crash. We would also like to thank the McHenry County Coroner’s Office for their hard work on this case.
