Wilmington I-55 Double Fatal Wrongway Driver Jailed: State Police

JOLIET, IL — As was anticipated, the Illinois State Police have announced the arrest of 33-year-old Wilmington resident Michael Trinka in connection with the June 27 deaths of husband and wife Ron and Kelly Dube along the southbound stretch of Interstate 55 near Wilmington.

Trinka is a convicted DUI offender. In 2018, Trinka pleaded guilty at the Will County Courthouse in connection with a 2017 DUI arrest. For that crime, he received 12 months supervision and was ordered to complete alcoholism treatment, plus 100 hours of community service. His driver's license was returned to him in March 2018, court records show.

In Wednesday night's press release on Facebook, Illinois State Police revealed that Trinka, who comes from the 100 block of Tully Road, is now being held in the Will County Jail on a $3 million bail, and he faces a dozen felony charges of aggravated driving under the influence from the Will County State's Attorney's Office.

The Illinois State Police recapped the crime, saying that at 10:36 p.m. on June 27, state troopers learned of a two-unit double fatality on the southbound part of I-55 in Will County. Trinka was driving a black F-150 and he was going northbound in the southbound lanes of 55.

The Dubes, on the other hand, were traveling with their young children in a GMC Yukon, going southbound on I-55, and that's when Trinka's truck hit them head-on. The Dubes' GMC Yukon was then hit by a semi-trailer, police said. The Dubes were pronounced dead at the crash site.

The couple's three children were taken to an area hospital and survived the crash. Trinka, on the night of the crash, was taken to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries, the state police noted.

Trinka was booked into his Will County Jail cell at 8:08 p.m. Wednesday.

According to their obituaries posted earlier this month by the Fred C. Dames Funeral Homes, Kelly Dube was born in Joliet and raised in Channahon.

"She was a graduate of nearby Minooka High School where she perhaps gravitated to classes such as health and shop. Her shop teacher commented that Kelly was one of the best students he taught. From a very young age, Kelly aspired to be a doting mother, homemaker and supportive wife. And she succeeded," her obituary noted.

Born in California, Ron Dube was raised in Romeoville and graduated from Romeoville High School and continued his education by receiving a bachelor's degree.

"He enjoyed football, bowling, and camping. Ron aspired to work hard, provide and support. And he succeeded,"his obituary noted.

Several days ago, Joliet Patch posted a story about The GoFundMe called, "Help The Dube Family," has surpassed its fund-raising goal of $30,000. In one day, the GoFundMe raised $73,032 and climbing thanks to more than 1,000 donations so far.

"On June 27, 2023, both Ron and Kelly Dube were killed in a motor vehicle accident on Route 55 in Illinois due to a wrong-way driver under the influence of alcohol hitting their vehicle head-on. All four of their beautiful children are still alive at this time receiving medical treatment at Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago for multiple injuries," the GoFundMe announced.