Stephanie Melgoza : The Story Of Fatal Crash and The Viral Video!

We have heard a lot of cases of drunk driving over the years, and there are several incidents where fatal accidents take place. But, there are a few cases which stand out as they make such an impact and are so impactful that it would shock you. One such incident of drink and driving which later led to a big incident and changed the lives of various families is the DUI crash by Stephanie Melgoza. We are talking about the case in which a 24-year-old college student struck and killed two pedestrians while driving after she had drunk. You might be wondering that this is just another case of drunk driving, and what is so special about that. Well, the thing which stood out in this case was the body cam footage which was released after the incident. This came as a shock for everyone. But, for those who don’t know you might find all this information quite blurry. Well, that is what we are writing this blog about. Here we will be providing you with a detailed breakdown of what this case was, what was recorded in this footage, and what was the verdict of this case. So, let’s start it from the beginning and take a look at what happened on the night of the crash.

The Night Of Stephanie Melgoza Crash

Stephanie Melgoza, who was a senior at Bradley University in Peoria, was coming from a local bar after having a few drinks on the night of April 10, 2022. Her graduation was just a few weeks away and she got quite a few drinks. After this, she made the decision which would turn her life upside down. She decided to drive her car after drinking, which did not turn out well. As she was cruising down North Main Street in East Peoria, her car met with a horrific accident. Two pedestrians, Paul Prowant, 55, and Andrea Rosewicz, 43 were just 2 pedestrians who were going somewhere but were never able to reach. The reason for that is Stephanie hit her with the car, and the impact led to their death on the spot. They were pedestrians near the Throttle Bar and Grill. You might be thinking that Stephanie might be in shock from the incident, but according to the reports from the place of incident, she appeared to be detached from the incident.

Stepahnie Melgoza Calling The Police

After the incident took place, one of the best decisions that Stephanie made was that she did not run away. No, she called the police herself and told them what had happened, and where it all took place. As the police came, they instantly took notice of how heavily drunk she was. Her intoxication was visible through the smell from her mouth. She had slurred speech, her eyes were glassy, and she was not able to maintain her balance. After taking her breath test, police found out that blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was .264, which is over three times of how much it should be. This was the proof that the police needed to show how drunk she was and this was a serious case of drunk driving. Other substance like mariguana was also found in her car, which means she might also have used it before the incident. As the police started asking her questions, she admitted to having 2 to 3 drinks of vodka before she started driving. Now, what happened during all this was the body cam that the police officers had recorded it all. The body cam had all the footage of how unserious she was all this time. She smiled, giggled, and even laughed during questioning, and even asked the police when she could get her car back. It is also said that she even danced at one point which showed that she had no remorse for what she just did.

Statement Of Victims Families On Stephanie Melgoza

After all this took place, the time was to face the legal battle that was going to take place in court. During Stephanie Melgoza’s sentencing hearing, the families of Paul Prowant and Andrea Rosewicz delivered powerful victim impact statements that highlighted the grief that they were in and how angry they were. Sherri Hutchinson who was Andrea’s sister said that Stephanie destroyed multiple families and that she has left a permanent void after taking the lives  of 2 people.

Jennifer Prowant, Paul’s sister-in-law, said that the court should not take the decision lightly and that the actions done by Stephania was her own decision and therefore she should be punished for them as well. The lives that were lost and the burden of the families broken was something which could not be repaired and was something which she should keep in mind.

Stephanie Melgoza Sentencing After Hearing

Now that the hearing of the case took place, and both the families of the victims said what they wanted to say, it was time for the verdict to be announced. During the end, Stephanie also got to say what she had in mind and wanted to show she also had remorse for what she did. When she got the chance to address the court as well as the families of victims, she said that she was, is, and will always be sorry for what she did. She knows that she will not be able to change what she did, but she wants everyone to learn from the mistakes that she made and does not want anyone to repeat it. She has understood what the consequences can be and why you should not do so. On April 27, 2023, Melgoza was sentenced to 14 years in prison. Under Illinois law, she must serve at least 85% of her sentence, which means she will spend nearly 12 years behind bars, and it won’t be any less than that. Credit time was also given for when she was under house arrest and the time for which she was in county jail. There were mixed reactions to the verdict. Some would say that it was fair and some said that 14 years was quite less than how much it should be.

Where is Stephanie Melgonza Today?

As of now, Melgoza is serving her sentence in an Illinois Department of Corrections facility. Reports suggest she intends to use her experience to educate others about the dangers of drunk driving once she is released.

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