A man from DeKalb has been apprehended and faced charges for drunk driving and reckless murder following a deadly crash that resulted in the death of Christina Musil, a Deputy of DeKalb County Sheriff’s department, as reported by the Illinois State Police on Wednesday evening.

The 44-year-old man, named Nathan P. Sweeney, was detained on Wednesday evening by the ISP, as revealed in an official statement.

A combined probe conducted by ISP and DeKalb County Coroner’s Office at the request of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office revealed that Sweeney was allegedly drug-impaired during the moment of the accident.

This tragic event could and should’ve been avoided, said Andy Sullivan, the Sheriff of DeKalb County during a Wednesday night statement. Sheriff Sullivan conveyed his deepest condolences to the family of Deputy Christina Musil and appreciated the swift manner in which the investigation was conducted by the Illinois State Police and the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Sweeney has now been charged with three counts of aggravated DUI that led to death and one count of reckless murder, as mentioned by the ISP. He’s currently held in custody at the Ogle County Jail in Oregon.

Deputy Christina Musil, a 35-year-old mother of three, was on stationary patrol when her Ford Explorer squad vehicle was hit from the rear by a Kenworth commercial truck at around 10:39 p.m. The accident happened at a location three-quarters of a mile south from the intersection of Perry Road and Route 23 in Waterman, as explained by Sheriff Sullivan.

Musil, a veteran from the U.S. Army National Guard, had previously served in Afghanistan between 2008 and 2009.

Sheriff Sullivan maintains that Sweeney is detained separately at the Ogle County Jail given that the investigation is independent from the Sheriff’s office and Musil was a deputy in that office.

In honor of Musil, the DeKalb County Courthouse and Sheriff’s Office in Sycamore will be closed on Thursday to enable the community to attend her funeral in DeKalb. As a result, Sweeney’s initial court hearing for pretrial release is postponed until Friday.

Although Sweeney is held in Ogle County, he will be tried in DeKalb County and is due to go before a DeKalb County judge on Friday at 1 p.m.

Sweeney was initially given citations for not reducing speed to avoid a crash, improper lane usage, and driving an uninsured vehicle by ISP officers.

If found guilty, the verdict might land Sweeney a prison sentence ranging between three to 14 years.

Read more – Source