Steinheimer sentenced to six years
<p class="p1">One of the high-profile cases in the region has come to a conclusion.
<p class="p1">Twenty-one-year-old Crystal Steinheimer, of Red Bud, was sentenced to six years in prison - with 364 days credit for time served - in Monroe County court on Thursday for aggravated driving under the influence related to the January 2015 deaths of 19-year-old Abigail Liefer (of Ruma) and 20-year-old Hannah Porter.
<p class="p1">Steinheimer was charged in May 2015 with reckless homicide and aggravated DUI in connection to the crash. Her sentence was to begin immediately after sentencing.
<p class="p1">The reckless homicide charge was dismissed in a plea deal that saw Steinheimer plead guilty to the aggravated DUI charge three days before her jury trial was set to begin last month.
<p class="p1">An aggravated DUI conviction carries a sentencing range of one to 12 years in prison. She had been facing up to 28 years for the reckless homicide charge for causing multiple deaths.
<p class="p1">According to the Illinois State Police's crash report, Steinheimer was driving north on Route 159 near Sunset Lane around 10:30 p.m. on January 10, 2015.
<p class="p1">She lost control of her 2008 Chevrolet Aveo and struck a 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt - driven by Liefer and containing Porter and 21-year-old Grace E. Richards - head on.
<p class="p1">Steinheimer herself was seriously injured in the crash and airlifted to St. Louis University Hospital, while Richards suffered only minor injuries.
<p class="p1">The ISP's report states Steinheimer's blood-alcohol content was .179, more than twice the legal limit. Six months after the crash, Steinheimer was arrested by Red Bud Police for driving on a suspended license.
<p class="p1">According to the Monroe County Republic-Times, Steinheimer will have to serve 85 percent of her sentence, but with good behavior credits she could be out of prison in four years and three months.
<p class="p1">The Belleville News Democrat reported that the civil suits filed by the Liefer and Porter families against the three Evansville-area bars (Just Sue's, Michael J's Saloon and Water Street Bar & Grill) that allegedly served Steinheimer the day of the crash are still pending.
<p class="p1">Water Street Bar & Grill was sold to new ownership several months ago and has since been rebranded as Water Street Inc.