Woman who was drunk, high in fatal 2023 Sugar Grove DUI crash pleads guilty

An Aurora woman who prosecutors said was drunk and high when she caused a 2023 DUI crash that killed Naperville resident Sergey P. Ageyev, 67, pleaded guilty this week and was sentenced to four years in prison.

Darci L. Klomhaus, 23, of Aurora, was charged March 15, 2024, after a head-on crash in Sugar Grove, according to a news release from the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office. The sentence was part of a plea agreement, according to the release.

Assistant State’s Attorneys Mark Stajdohar and Katy Flannagan said in court that about 5 a.m. Oct. 6, 2023, Klomhaus made an illegal left turn from Golf View Road onto Illinois Route 56 in Sugar Grove, according to the release.

Klomhaus turned her yellow 2021 Jeep onto the wrong side of Route 56 and drove east in the westbound lanes, towards Interstate-88. She struck Ageyev’s vehicle head-on, killing him, according to court records and the release.

“This case is a reminder that the decision to drink or consume drugs and drive can have irreversible consequences,” Stajdohar said in the release. “One person’s choice cost an innocent man his life. ... This sentence brings some measure of justice, but no outcome can undo the loss of Mr. Ageyev’s life or ease the pain his family continues to endure.”

Sugar Grove police and paramedics took Ageyev, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to the release.

Klomhaus’ blood alcohol content was measured at 0.134% – more than one and a half times the legal limit of 0.08%, according to the release.

Further testing also revealed that she had THC in her blood, according to the release.

THC, or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, is believed to be the main psychoactive ingredient in Cannabis sativa, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

In exchange for her guilty plea, all other charges against Klomhaus – including felony reckless homicide – were dismissed, court records show.

In accordance with state law, Klomhaus will serve at least 85% of the sentence. She also will receive credit for the 419 days she’s already served in Kane County Jail, according to the release.

Associate Judge Julia Yetter sentenced Klomhaus Aug. 5, following a hearing where Ageyev’s family delivered impact statements to the court, according to the release.

Aggravated DUI resulting in death is a Class 2 felony, punishable by four to seven years in prison and fines up to $25,000, upon conviction.

“I want to thank Assistant State’s Attorney Katy Flannagan for her dedication to this case, as well as the Sugar Grove Police Department and Fire Protection District for their swift response to the accident and the thorough investigation by Detective Peter Batitsas,” Stajdohar said in the release.