A Prophetstown man has pleaded not guilty to driving while high on drugs and causing a two-vehicle crash that left another man dead last May.

Jacob Penaflor, 40, is charged with aggravated driving under the influence of drugs, a Class 2 felony that carries a possible 14-year prison sentence, in connection with the death of Benjamin Weidel, 39, of Prophetstown.

Penaflor entered a not guilty plea on Monday in Whiteside County Circuit Court.

Court documents filed in the case in September allege that THC levels in Penaflor’s body, tested within two hours of him driving the vehicle, violated state law, and that the violation was a “proximate cause of death.” Penaflor is also charged with misdemeanor counts of operating a motor vehicle without insurance, causing bodily harm, and disregarding a stop sign.

The charges were filed in connection with a crash that happened on May 21 on Perkins Road in Whiteside County. According to a Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office news release issued at the time of the crash, the sheriff’s office received an iPhone crash detection alert about 4:35 p.m. May 21, pinpointing the location at the intersection of Perkins and Mill roads.

An initial investigation determined that a black 2007 Ford 500, driven by Penaflor, was heading south on Perkins Road when it failed to stop at a stop sign at the Mill Road intersection, according to the release. The Ford collided with a black 2024 Chevrolet Crossover driven by Weidel, who was traveling east on Mill Road.

The impact caused Penaflor’s Ford to roll multiple times, with Penaflor suffering injuries that were not life-threatening. He received treatment.

Court documents indicate that an aggravated driving under the influence of drugs conviction carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of three to 14 years unless the court finds extraordinary circumstances exist and require probation.

Penaflor, who has been granted pretrial release, is next scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m. Dec. 17 for a pretrial conference.