Magdalena Jablonska was the kind of person who always brought sunshine into a room. At 48 years old, the Des Plaines resident had already dedicated much of her life to helping others. She served proudly as a U.S. Marine. Her friends and family knew her as someone who naturally stepped up whenever a person was in need. But this past Saturday, her bright light was violently put out on the Fox River.
It was supposed to be a relaxing weekend afternoon on the water. Magdalena was sitting in the passenger seat of her family’s 20-foot Crownline boat. Her husband was behind the wheel. They were cruising just south of the McHenry Dam at approximately 2:30 p.m. It was a beautiful day that was about to turn into a complete nightmare.
Disaster struck from behind without any warning. A massive 31-foot pontoon boat came roaring up on them. Authorities say the pontoon was traveling at a wildly high rate of speed, hitting around 80 miles per hour. The larger boat slammed violently into the back of Magdalena’s smaller vessel.
The impact was absolutely catastrophic. The pontoon literally rode right over the top of the Crownline boat. Magdalena suffered horrific injuries and was pronounced dead right there at the scene. Her husband was left injured in the wreck. A day of joy was destroyed in a split second.
The man allegedly driving that pontoon was 45-year-old Richard Stevenson of Lisle. Investigators say he was heavily intoxicated. Witnesses reported seeing him drinking alcohol throughout the entire day and driving recklessly on both the Chain O’Lakes and the Fox River. After he crashed and ran his boat aground, blood tests revealed his blood alcohol level was around 0.200. That is more than twice the legal limit for driving in Illinois.
This was not a sudden, unpredictable accident. In court, prosecutors painted a picture of a man with a long history of reckless behavior. Stevenson had three prior DUI charges, three reckless driving charges, and four speeding violations on his record. Deputy Chief Brian Miller summed it up perfectly in court. He called Stevenson a “ticking time-bomb” that finally went off that Saturday.
Now, Magdalena’s loved ones are left to pick up the pieces. They recently launched a GoFundMe to help with the unexpected tragedy, remembering her big heart and endless warmth. Meanwhile, McHenry County State’s Attorney Randi L. Freese is aggressively pursuing justice. Stevenson is currently sitting in a jail cell without bond. He was even fired from his own family’s company after the crash. Magdalena deserved so much better, and her community is demanding that the man responsible faces the consequences.
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