Man gets 180 days in jail, three years of probation for aggravated DUI involving death

Online Staff Report

Ricky Tapp, 60, has been sentenced to three years probation and 180 days in the Winnebago County Jail for the offense of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol involving death.

At approximately 8:42 p.m., July 10, 2009, Rockford police were responding to an alarm call and were traveling toward the intersection of Guilford and Perryville roads with their overhead lights and sirens on. Officers stopped at the red light at the intersection and looked to see if traffic was clear. One officer saw a group of motorcycles that were stopping southbound on Perryville Road at Guilford Road. One of the motorcycles appeared to have smoke coming from the back tire. The driver of that motorcycle, who was identified as Tapp, had a passenger on his bike. The passenger was identified as Margaret Dahl. Tapp appeared to have lost control of the motorcycle as he came up between the other motorcycles at a high rate of speed. Tapp and Dahl both flew off the motorcycle and struck the pavement. Both were taken to the hospital.

Dahl ultimately died as a result of head injuries she suffered in the crash. As a part of his medical treatment, Tapp’s blood was drawn and he was shown to have a blood-alcohol concentration in excess of the legal limit of .08. The reconstructionist showed that Tapp was traveling in excess of the legally posted speed limit at the time of the crash.

Aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol involving death is a Class 2 felony and has a sentencing range of three to 14 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Posted March 22, 2013