March 29, 2024
Crime & Courts | Northwest Herald


Crime & Courts

Rolling Meadows man sentenced to probation for fatal 2017 crash

A Rolling Meadows man was sentenced to probation Thursday in connection with a single-vehicle crash that killed a Lake Barrington High School student.

More than two years after Matthew Zeek lost control of his vehicle while speeding in a 25-mph zone, the 25-year-old accepted an offer from prosecutors and pleaded guilty to reckless homicide.

McHenry County Judge Michael Coppedge sentenced Zeek to 2½ years of probation in connection with the March 3, 2017, crash that killed 18-year-old Rebecca Soderman and injured a 16-year-old passenger.

Zeek, of the 2400 block of Sigwalt Street, was driving 93 mph in a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu that was traveling west on Plum Tree Road in Barrington Hills when the crash occurred.

He lost control of the vehicle and struck several trees, killing Soderman and injuring another teenage passenger, police said at the time.

In addition to his probation sentence, Zeek also must serve 200 hours of public service, pay $1,000 in restitution and attend a victim-impact panel.

If he does not comply with the conditions of his sentence, a judge could order him to serve 150 days in the McHenry County Jail.

Katie Smith

Katie Smith

Katie reported on the crime and courts beat for the Northwest Herald from 2017 through 2021. She began her career with Shaw Media in 2015 at the Daily Chronicle in DeKalb, where she reported on the courts, city council, the local school board, and business.