An Ogle County judge will decide next month what sentence a Creston woman should receive for causing a fatal crash that claimed the life of an Addison man in June 2022.

Amy Anthenat, 50, pleaded guilty in October to the Class 4 felony of aggravated driving under the influence, with cocaine detected in her urine. She made an open plea, admitting to the charge without a negotiated plea agreement, leaving Ogle County Judge Clayton Lindsey to determine her sentence following a hearing on Wednesday.

The charge stems from a 3:48 p.m. June 19, 2022, crash at the intersection of Mulford Road and state Route 64, when Anthenat, who was northbound on Mulford Road, pulled out in front of Richard Andrews, 61, Addison, who was driving his motorcycle east on state Route 64.

At Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, under questioning by her attorney Eric Arnquist, Anthenat testified she was driving a “farm truck” from one field to another when she didn’t see Andrews on his motorcycle.

She said she was trying to block the sun with her hand and started to go through the intersection when Andrews saw her vehicle and she saw Andrews.

“He saw me and I saw his scared face. He laid it [the motorcycle] down…falling backwards, so I stopped. I didn’t want to run over him if he was close to the truck,” she said while crying.

She said she ran to Andrews, who was lying in the middle of the road, but she could not find a pulse. She called 911 while two passersby performed CPR on Andrews.

“If I could have saved him I would have. I didn’t want that to happen to him,” Anthenat said, choking back tears.

“And you fully cooperated with police and gave them blood and urine,” Arnquist asked.

Anthenat said she did cooperate, adding she had used cocaine while attending a wedding the weekend before the crash, but was not under the influence that day.

She said she took full responsibility for the collision and remains in counseling for substance abuse, trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder.

“I close my eyes and I see it [the crash] every day. I see Mr. Andrews. I see his face. I can’t get over that vision in my head,” Anthenat said.

Earlier in the hearing, Anthenat said she is fully employed as an instructor at Kishwaukee College and also works part time in the radiology department for UW Health.

She tearfully told Lindsey that she had been the victim of physical and mental abuse earlier in her life. She said one of her sons had recently been severely injured in a motor vehicle accident and she is now the main caregiver and provider for him.

During her allocution – her right to speak before sentencing – Anthenat turned to Andrews’s family and friends who were in the courtroom and apologized.

“I am deeply sorry,” she said tearfully. “I know that this apology can’t make you feel better. I will carry this for the rest of my life. I am not here to make any excuses. I will spend the rest of my life trying show respect for his life.”

Lindsey then heard arguments from Arnquist and Assistant State’s Attorney Heather Kruse as to what they believed Anthenat’s sentence should be.

“She was driving after using cocaine,” said Kruse. “The defendant chose to ingest cocaine and get behind a vehicle. She made choices that day. Mr. Andrew’s death is entirely her fault. She is the cause of this crash.”

Kruse said Anthenat’s “rough life” should not absolve her of her actions on that June 2022 day.

“She is educated. She is employed. She still chose to drive after snorting cocaine at a wedding,” Kruse said, recommending a prison sentence to deter others. “The seriousness of the crime is what is most important. She must be held accountable.”

Arnquist disagreed, asking for a sentence of probation. “This is not a DUI death,” he said arguing Anthenat was not under the influence when the accident occurred. “It is an aggravated driving, resulting in great bodily harm offense. It is probationable.”

Arnquist said Anthenat had had only minor traffic offenses before the accident.

“She has led her entire life as law abiding,” Arnquist said. “She has no criminal history. This is about as clean of a record I’ve ever seen for someone her age. It is snow white.”

Arnquist said Anthenat has not used cocaine since the crash.

“She went through a great deal of trauma and she went out and got counseling on her own,” Arnquist said. “She has a positive report from her counselor. There is absolutely no reason she would not continue to be successful on probation.”

He also said a sentence of probation would allow Anthenat to continue working and provide much-needed insurance for her injured son as well as allow her to care for him and help with his medical needs. He also said she would willingly abide by any orders levied as part of a probation sentence, including random drug tests.

And he said Anthenat was an “obvious” victim of domestic violence earlier in her life and her choice to seek substance abuse counseling should not be overlooked.

“There was a cascading series of events that started when she was 17,” Arnquist said.

“Treatment works,” he continued. “She has expressed extreme remorse and she is still suffering from her actions three years after. Ms. Anthenat is credible. She started treatment on her own. Her behavior shows she wants to get better.”

Arnquist also said the “serious horrific” injuries suffered by her son and Anthenat’s ability to provide for him should also be considered.

“She’s a medical professional, providing medical care,” Arnquist argued. “There is no evidence that she poses any risk to the community.”

He acknowledged that the Andrews’s family had also been “horrifically” injured, but said a prison sentence would not “fix” anything.

Lindsey said he needed time to review arguments, testimony, and all elements of the case as well read again the four victim impact statements submitted by the Andrews family before rendering his decision.

“I need to take this matter under advisement,” Lindsey said, setting a 3 p.m. March 13 date for the announcement of his decision.

Anthenat remains free on bond pending the March hearing.