Woman Pleads Guilty to Fatal DUI Crash on Route 47

An Aurora woman will serve a prison sentence for a 2009 fatal DUI crash on Route 47 north of Sugar Grove.

Linda L. Knotts, 48 (d.o.b. 7-17-1964), of the 200 block of East Galena Boulevard, Aurora, agreed this week to a sentence of seven years in the Illinois Department of Corrections in exchange for a guilty plea to one count of aggravated DUI, a Class 2 felony.

Circuit Judge James C. Hallock accepted the plea.

At about 5:30 p.m. March 20, 2009, Knotts was driving her yellow 2007 Chevrolet S-10 pick-up south in the northbound lane on Route 47 near Merrill Road when she struck head-on a vehicle driven by 54-year-old William McKenzie of Marengo. McKenzie was pronounced dead a short time later at a nearby hospital. Preceding the crash, motorists had called 911 to report a yellow pick-up driving erratically at an excessive speed and passing numerous vehicles.

The investigation revealed that Knotts had cocaine in her blood at the time of the crash. A traffic reconstruction revealed that Knotts’ pick-up was traveling 73 mph when it struck McKenzie’s vehicle, and that McKenzie’s vehicle was traveling within the posted 55 mph speed limit.

According to Illinois law, Knotts must serve at least 85 percent of the sentence. Knotts will be given credit for 32 days served in the Kane County jail. Knotts remains free on $4,000 bond. Judge Hallock granted Knotts’ request to surrender Jan. 30, 2013, to begin her sentence.

“It remains a priority of this office to aggressively prosecute DUI cases. This crash was clearly preventable, the result of this defendant’s reckless and dangerous driving with cocaine in her blood,” Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon said. “Mr. McKenzie’s death was nothing short of tragic.”

The case was prosecuted by Kane County Assistant State’s Attorney Bill Engerman.

SOURCE: Kane County State's Attorney's Office