An Aurora man told police investigators that he drank beer and liquor and smoked marijuana in the hours before an Oct. 7 fatal crash that killed a young girl, according to Kane County court records.
Prosecutors have charged 25-year-old Anthony Potochney with multiple felony counts, including aggravated driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident involving a death. Potochney’s admissions of alcohol and drug use are mentioned in an affidavit filed by Aurora police investigators seeking access to vehicle data recorders in the Cadillac driven by Potochney, as well as the minivan occupied by 9-year-old Katie Jonak, her mother and two young friends.
Police said Potochney was behind the wheel of the Cadillac around 9 p.m. Oct. 7 when it drifted into the oncoming lane of traffic on Broadway Avenue just south of Pierce Street and broadsided the van. Jonak’s mother tried to avoid the collision with a sharp left turn but was unable to steer clear in time. Katie Jonak died from her injuries, while her friends, ages 10 and 12, suffered a fractured pelvis and bruised lung, respectively, documents show.
Potochney fled the crash scene but was caught near the High Street Bridge, police said. Police credited witnesses with identifying Potochney as the driver in the crash. He was taken to a hospital for minor injuries. While there, an Aurora police officer noted that Potochney refused to submit to testing that would determine his blood alcohol content. The officer noticed a smell of alcohol and marijuana coming from Potochney, in addition to his “slurred” speech, the officer’s DUI report states, adding that Potochney “admitted to driving the offending vehicle.”
Potochney remains in Kane County Jail on $750,000 bail. He has filed a motion to have that amount reduced. His case is scheduled to return to court in December.
In May, Potochney successfully completed Kane County’s Treatment Alternative Court in connection to a 2013 case in which he was charged with aggravated battery to an elderly person, court records show. Potochney was accused of punching a 66-year-old man in the head during an altercation inside an Aurora restaurant. His record also includes a fine after receiving a 2009 ordinance violation for underage drinking.
Dan Campana is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.