Bolingbrook man pleads guilty to DUI crash that killed sleeping woman

January 11

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced today (Friday, January 7, 2011) that a Bolingbrook man who caused a drunken driving crash that killed a woman sleeping in her bed has pleaded guilty.

Luis V. Benito, 17, of 307 Woodcreek Dr., pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated driving while under the influence of alcohol.

He faces between three and 14 years in prison when he is sentenced by Circuit Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak on March 12. Under Illinois law, a prison sentence shall be imposed, unless the judge determines extraordinary circumstances exist that require the defendant be placed on probation.

The victim, Josefina Prospero, and her husband were asleep in bed when Benito crashed his SUV through the wall of their apartment unit in the early-morning hours of November 13, 2010. Prospero was pinned beneath the wheel of the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. Her husband, who was sleeping closer to the wall, was unharmed.

Benito’s blood-alcohol level was .204 at the time of the crash, which is two and a half times the legal limit.

“Luis Benito’s callous decision to drive while he was drunk resulted in the tragic death of an innocent woman who should have been safe while she slept in her own bed,” said State’s Attorney Glasgow. “This horrific crash killed Josefina Prospero, and we will be seeking a significant prison term.”

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Fred Harvey.