A Batavia man was sentenced to jail time and probation Friday for driving with a .417 blood-alcohol content level when he crashed into another vehicle, sending a Harvard woman to the hospital.
Tafadzwa Ndlovu, 34, pleaded guilty Jan. 9 to aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol causing great bodily harm, a Class 4 felony.
He was sentenced to two years felony probation and 180 days in McHenry County jail. He is required to serve half the jail time and perform 580 hours of public service, according to a sentencing order signed by Judge Mark Gerhardt.
About 2:30 p.m. Aug. 18, 2024, Ndlovu was driving a Black 2022 Honda CRV west on Charles Road east of the intersection of Route 47 in Greenwood Township north of Woodstock, according to a criminal complaint filed in McHenry County court.
Authorities said Ndlovu was driving behind a Blue 2006 Toyota Rav4 that began slowing down as it approached the four-way stop at the intersection of Charles Road and Route 47.
As the Toyota was slowing, Ndlovu “continued his steady cruising speed until he rear-ended the Toyota causing [it to crash into an] embankment, overturn and land upright,” according to the complaint.
The injured woman was sitting in the left rear seat of the Toyota. She was flown to Condell Medical Center in Libertyville for life-threatening injuries, police said in the complaint at the time of the accident. She suffered a brain bleed and a fractured ankle, authorities said. Prosecutors said the woman has since recovered from her physical injuries.
Authorities said a toxicology report showed Ndlovu “had a whole blood alcohol concentration of .417.” Police also said they found “unsealed” bottles of alcohol in his vehicle. The legal BAC limit is .08.
When Ndlovu entered his guilty plea Jan. 9, he apologized to the victim and her family, as well as to his own. He said he carries “genuine remorse” and takes responsibility for what he’s caused the victim.
“I am sorry for the hurt, the pain, and emotional suffering that I caused you guys on that day,” he said. “I know that my actions affected your lives in ways that I can never fully undo, and that knowledge weighs heavily on me every day. There is not a day that goes by that I do not wish that I could turn back the hands of time.”
Since the accident, he said he decided to change his life. He also has become a father.
“I have remained sober, and sobriety has given me clarity about how far off course I had gone,” he said. “I’ve taken significant steps to better myself to grow and to ensure that I never return to the person I was at that time.”
As part of his sentence, Ndlovu must attend a victim impact panel, refrain from alcohol and any drugs without a prescription. He also was ordered to pay the victim $200 in restitution and to pay $4,134 in fines and fees, according to the sentencing order.