An Illinois man who fled the state following a fatal drunk driving crash has been sentenced to a significant term of imprisonment after finally facing justice for his actions.
Deahri Steele, 23, entered a guilty plea to charges of reckless homicide and aggravated driving under the influence, five years after the crash that claimed the life of 16-year-old Mason Hada. According to local CW affiliate WRNF, Steele was operating a black sedan on August 26, 2021, when he reached speeds of up to 96 miles per hour , approximately 60 miles over the posted speed limit , while also under the influence of alcohol. Local ABC affiliate WTVO reported that Mason had been returning home from football practice at the time of the collision and was actively speaking with his father by speakerphone in the moments immediately before Steele’s vehicle struck his.
Following the crash, Steele was transported to a nearby hospital to receive treatment for his injuries, while Mason was pronounced dead at the scene. In an emotional interview with WTVO, Mason’s father, LeRoy Hada, recalled the devastating moment the call went silent: “and then all of a sudden it just stopped. And then, boom, I heard it. I heard the glass break, and I heard the squealing. I kept calling him. He didn’t answer.”
Upon arriving at the scene, Hada described witnessing “everything [was] complete chaos. The ambulance had to cut my boy out of the car.”
Rather than surrendering to authorities in the aftermath of the tragedy, Steele fled the state while law enforcement conducted an active search for him. He was ultimately apprehended by the U.S. Marshals Service in Detroit, Michigan, on December 9, 2022. Following his arrest, Steele was extradited to Winnebago County, Illinois, where he was formally booked into custody.
On Thursday, a judge sentenced Steele to 10 years in prison on the reckless homicide charge, along with five years and six months on the aggravated DUI resulting in death charge, with both sentences to be served concurrently. The court granted him credit for the four years he had already served in the Winnebago County Jail.
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