Man charged in crash that killed La Grange woman sentenced to 20 years

A Chicago man accused of causing a head-on crash that killed two passengers in an oncoming vehicle was sentenced Wednesday to 20 years in prison.

Juan Rodea-Cruz, 27, on Oct. 10 entered a plea of guilty to two counts of aggravated DUI causing death, according to a DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office news release. He has been held in custody since the crash at the DuPage County Jail on a bond of $750,000.

On Oct. 20, 2019, at approximately 2:47 a.m., Rodea-Cruz was driving alone northbound on Route 83 in the southbound lanes just north of 55th Street in Clarendon Hills. While driving on the wrong side of the road, Rodea-Cruz crashed his car head-on into a southbound vehicle with four passengers, according to the release.

Two of the vehicle’s passengers, Marko Boskovic, 27, of Revere, Mass., and Laura Uribe, 26, of La Grange, died at a local hospital as a result of their injuries. Additionally, a 27-year-old male was severely injured while another 27-year-old male received treatment for his injuries and was released. The two surviving victims are both from Massachusetts.

After the crash, officers found Rodea-Cruz alone in his vehicle with numerous opened and unopened bottles of beer as well as a broken bottle of liquor. He was taken into custody at this time and appeared in bond court the following morning.

“This case is the definition of a tragedy,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in the release. “The senseless loss of two innocent lives will forever be on the shoulders of Mr. Rodea-Cruz. His decision to operate a motor vehicle after he had been drinking cost Marko Boskovic and Laura Uribe their lives. To Marco’s and Laura’s surviving family and friends, I offer my sincerest condolences and wish them well as they continue their lives with just the memories of Marko and Laura to sustain them.”

Rodea-Cruz will be required to serve 85% of his sentence before being eligible for parole. He will also receive credit for time he has already served in the DuPage County Jail.