Ogle County man, 25, dies in head-on crash on I-39 in Winnebago County

ROCKFORD – A 25-year-old Ogle County man is dead and a Wisconsin man injured following a crash Monday morning on Interstate 39 in Winnebago County.

According to a news release Wednesday from Illinois State Police, John H. Danuk of Davis Junction was driving north on I-39 about 9:20 a.m. when, for unknown reasons, he entered the southbound lanes and hit a car driven by David J. Henke, 52, of Janesville, head-on.

The two men were taken to an area hospital, where Danuk was pronounced dead, according to the release. Henke’s condition was unavailable Wednesday.

Toxicology tests, but not an autopsy, are being done, Winnebago County Coroner Jennifer Muraski said. Results likely will take at least six weeks.

A third vehicle, driven by Bradd J. Pezewski of Elgin, was struck by debris from the crash. He was cited for operating a commercial vehicle without proper classification, according to the the release.

At the time of his death, Danuk, a convicted felon, was charged in federal court in Rockford with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and possession of ammunition by a felon that had been the subject of interstate and foreign commerce.

According to the probable cause affidavit, on July 29, 2020, Danuk was found in a hotel in Chicago “selling pounds of marijuana and armed with several handguns.” He was arrested and admitted to the possession of guns and marijuana, and said he had been robbed several times before while selling drugs and needed the guns for protection.

Two days earlier, Danuk pleaded guilty in Cook County Court to aggravated battery of a taxi driver and was sentenced to 2 1/2 years probation, according to the affidavit.

He was set to be sentenced March 24 in the guns and drugs case, Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Fitzpatrick said in an email Wednesday. The potential length of the sentence was not provided.