UPDATE:
The story made ABC News.
.
Fox News ran a story also.
Original press release from the State’s Attorney:
FOX RIVER GROVE MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO AGGRAVATED DUI IN HIGH-SPEED CRASH THAT KILLED TWO TEENAGE SIBLINGS
McHenry County State’s Attorney Randi L. Freese announces that on September 2, 2026, Jason Land, 19, of Fox River Grove, Illinois, pleaded guilty before the Honorable Judge Mark R. Gerhardt to two counts of Aggravated Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol arising from a high-speed crash that claimed the lives of two teenage siblings last summer.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 9, 2026, at 1:30pm in Courtroom 302, after which Judge Gerhardt will determine the sentence.
On July 28, 2025, at approximately 12:20 a.m., Land was driving a 2012 Audi A4 southbound on Richmond Road toward the intersection of Richmond Road and McCollum Lake Road in McHenry.
Land was traveling at an excessive rate of speed, approaching 100 miles per hour, as he entered the intersection.
At the same time, a Nissan Sentra occupied by an 18-year-old female driver and her 14-year-old brother was traveling through the intersection with the right of way.
Land’s vehicle struck the Nissan, causing catastrophic damage to both vehicles.
The 18-year-old driver became trapped inside the Nissan, while her 14-year-old brother was ejected from the vehicle.
Emergency medical personnel responded to the scene and determined that both teenagers had died because of injuries sustained in the crash.
Land was transported to Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital for treatment of injuries he sustained in the collision.
Testing of Land’s blood collected at the hospital revealed a blood alcohol concentration of .28 within approximately one hour of the crash.
“This case is a devastating reminder of the irreversible consequences that can result from the decision to drink and drive,” State’s Attorney Freese said.
“Two young lives were taken in an instant because of a completely preventable act.
“No sentence can restore these children to their family or erase the unimaginable loss their loved ones continue to endure.
“Our office will continue to stand with the victims’ family and will seek a sentence that reflects the extraordinary gravity of this tragedy.”
This case is being prosecuted by Special Prosecutor William Bruce.
