Batavia Drunken Driver Who Killed 2 People While Nearly 3 Times Over Legal Limit Learns Sentence

BATAVIA, IL — A Batavia woman, 58, was sentenced to eight years in prison for driving drunk and causing a crash that killed two people three years ago, the Kane County State's Attorney's Office said.

Teresa Haidl, a 56-year-old resident of Batavia, and 54-year-old Jonathan Couch, of Sugar Grove, died in July 2023 as a result of injuries from the crash.

Melissa Hill was convicted in their deaths, pleading guilty in June to aggravated driving under the influence in a crash causing death.

On July 21, 2023, Hill left a residence and drove south on Bliss Road, a two-lane road in Blackberry Township. Attempting to pass another car, she entered the northbound lane in a no-passing zone and collided head-on with a pickup truck, prosecutors said, setting off a series of crashes. The collision ultimately involved four cars.

Couch was driving the pickup truck, and Haidl was a passenger. Couch was in critical condition, and paramedics transported him to a local hospital, where he died the following morning. Haidl was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, and she died two days after the crash, officials said.

Hill was also hospitalized, and when her blood was drawn for treatment, doctors found the blood alcohol content was 0.236, nearly three times the legal limit. Officers who responded to the crash found a partially empty bottle of wine on the passenger floorboard of Hill's car, and the music was blaring, according to prosecutors.

The passengers of the two other vehicles suffered minor injuries.

Hill must serve at least 85 percent of the eight-year prison sentence. She receives credit for one day served in the Kane County Jail.

The maximum possible sentence was 28 years, and the minimum was six years. Prosecutors asked for a sentence of 18 years of imprisonment.

"While no sentence will truly be enough to compensate for the loss of Jonathan or Teresa, I would like to thank their families for standing by our side through this process and through the court's ruling," Assistant State's Attorney Katy Flannagan said in a statement. "Our office will continue to fiercely advocate for harsh penalties in DUI cases because every motorist should understand that the decision to drive drunk may always result in seriously injuring or killing someone and that the outcome of those decisions will be incarceration."