Will County Gazette

Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced that Dakea Sanner, 29, of Crest Hill, has been sentenced to six years in prison for Aggravated Driving Under the Influence (a Class 2 felony), causing a fatal crash that resulted in the death of Martin Velemir in 2021. Sanner pled guilty and was sentenced by Circuit Judge Carmen Goodman.

On October 24, 2021, at approximately 2:07 a.m., officers were dispatched to Weber Road and Patrick Drive in Crest Hill for a traffic crash with possible injuries. The two vehicles involved were Sanner’s Chevrolet Tahoe and the victim’s Honda Accord. According to a witness at the scene, Sanner was driving the Chevrolet without its headlights on, southbound in the left lane while Mr. Velemir was driving northbound in the left lane of travel. Evidence from debris on the roadway and vehicle damage indicated that Sanner’s Chevy crossed double yellow lines into the northbound lane and struck Velemir's Honda head-on. A crash reconstruction report revealed that Sanner's vehicle did not brake before impact but instead increased speed directly before the crash.

The victim suffered major head trauma and was transported to Ascension St. Joseph Hospital in Joliet, where he succumbed to his injuries. Sanner was transported to Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital and submitted to a DUI hospital blood draw, which indicated a blood alcohol content of .18. It is illegal to drive in Illinois with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or greater. The cause of the fatal crash was determined to be Sanner’s improper lane usage.

“Sanner made the horribly reckless decision to get behind the wheel and drive while highly intoxicated despite the untenable risk this posed to everyone else on the road,” Glasgow said. “Sadly, Sanner’s abject disregard for the law and the sanctity of human life resulted in Martin’s tragic death. This horrific loss has set in motion a lifetime of suffering for his family.”

The six-year sentence will be served at 85 percent, with an additional two years mandatory supervised release upon completion. Sanner will receive credit for 669 days already served.

Glasgow thanked Assistant State’s Attorney Charlene Recio, Victim Witness Services Director Nichole Pasteris, Victim Witness Advocate Jessica Gil, IT Specialist Bob Valiska, and officers from both Crest Hill Police Department and Illinois State Police for their dedication.