McHenry man convicted of killing teen in 1999 DUI crash pleads guilty to 2022 DUI, gets 3 years in prison

A McHenry man convicted in a 1999 Lake County crash that killed his 16-year-old passenger while he was driving drunk pleaded guilty Wednesday to an aggravated driving under the influence charge from 2022.

Todd Wojdakowski, 45, was sentenced to three years in prison, of which he is required to serve half. When released, he will be on mandatory supervised release for six months, according to a judgment order filed in McHenry County court.

He also was ordered to pay $1,884 in fines and fees and will receive credit toward his prison time for seven days in the county jail, according to the order signed by Judge Mark Gerhardt.

Wojdakowski also pleaded guilty in two unrelated cases to charges of driving on a suspended license and interference with reporting domestic violence. He was ordered to pay total fines of $914, according to documents in those cases.

He was accused of driving under the influence of alcohol Sept. 15, 2022, in McHenry, records show. In exchange for his guilty plea, additional charges were dismissed, including obstructing justice, failure to reduce speed and failure to notify about a change of residence, records show. He was accused of refusing to comply “with a search warrant for blood samples,” according to the indictment.

Wojdakowski was convicted in a 1999 reckless homicide in Lake County and sentenced to four years in prison, prosecutors said. In that case, he was accused of driving under the influence of alcohol when he crashed his vehicle, according to Lake County court records.

Records show that he lost control of his 1994 sports car while driving around a curve and struck a utility pole along Old Volo Village Road. The force of the crash severed the utility pole and killed Wojdakowski’s 16-year-old passenger.