McHenry man pleads guilty to not reporting hitting bicyclist in 2020

A 27-year-old McHenry man was sentenced Wednesday to at least 60 days in jail, two years of probation and community service after pleading guilty to not reporting to police that he hit a bicyclist with his car, court records show.

Brandon L. Chaples, of the 4300 block of South Street, entered into a negotiated plea of guilty to failure to report the July 2020 crash resulting in injury, a Class 2 felony. One count of leaving the scene of a crash resulting in injury, a Class 4 felony, was dismissed, according to court documents.

Chaples, also ticketed by McHenry police for using an electronic communication device and driving an uninsured vehicle at the time of the crash, could have been sentenced to up to seven years in prison for the Class 2 felony.

Chaples was sentenced to 180 days in the McHenry County jail. He is required to serve 60 of the days and 120 days were stayed, meaning he won’t have to serve them unless a judge orders otherwise. He also is required to pay nearly $1,500 in fines and fees, according to court documents.

On July 16, 2020, Chaples was driving a 2010 Toyota Corolla southbound near the 300 block of North Route 31 in McHenry when he hit a man riding a bicycle, according to the criminal complaint filed by McHenry police in the McHenry County courthouse. Chaples is accused of not stopping or reporting the accident within a half hour, the complaint states.

The bicyclist was thrown onto the road, causing injury to his head, and the car left the scene of the crash, police said at the time. The bicyclist was flown to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with injuries that were not thought to be life-threatening.

Chaples was arrested after posting on social media that he had been in an accident. A Johnsburg police officer who saw the post contacted McHenry police who went to his home, said McHenry Police Public Affairs Officer Michael Spohn.

Two days after his arrest, Chaples, who at the time worked for an online food delivery company, posted $1,000 of a $10,000 bond and was released, according to court documents.

An attempt to reach his attorney Wednesday for comment was not successful.