Homer Glen man sentenced to 12 years for fatal DUI crash on I-55

Robert Ebel, 55 pleaded guilty to a 2020 fatal DUI crash on Interstate 55 in which he was the driver of a Tesla that was traveling at a high rate of speed, when it crashed into a Toyota, mortally wounding it's driver, 51 year old John Exner.

According to court records & FOX32 Chicago, Ebel was the driver of a 2015 Tesla traveling on I-55 south of Cass Avenue in Darien at a high rate of speed on Aug. 22, 2020.

As he approached a semi-truck, he tried to pass the truck on the right shoulder of the road and crashed into a disabled Toyota in which the victim was inside.

Exner, inside the disabled Toyota, was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for a collapsed lung, internal bleeding, and a spleen injury. He later died.

Ebel has already served 958 days in custody, for which he will be given credit. He will have then to serve at least 85% of his sentence of 12 years, so approximately another 7.5 years behind bars.

"Mr. Ebel’s incredibly dangerous behavior that afternoon, cost John Exner his life," said DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin in a statement. "While a twelve-year sentence will never replace the love and support John once provided to his friends and family, perhaps knowing that the man responsible for his death will be held responsible, will help them gain some measure of closure in this horrible chapter in their lives."