A West Chicago man who hit a scooter rider, then took off, is headed to state prison for more than a decade.
Robert Borchering was sentenced Friday to 11 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to aggravated driving under the influence that caused great bodily harm and to leaving the scene of an accident. The sentence stems from a June 21, 2024 collision in unincorporated West Chicago that left the scooter rider with serious, multiple fractures.
According to a press release from the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office, the crash occurred at approximately 4 p.m. on June 21, 2024, at High Lake Road and Sunset Avenue in unincorporated West Chicago. Prosecutors say the victim was riding an electric scooter while wearing a high-visibility vest and helmet when he was struck, and that he suffered fractures to both legs, a cervical vertebra, the right scapula and clavicle, and multiple ribs.
Investigators reported that Borchering had a blood-alcohol content of 0.171 after allegedly consuming "three pitchers of beer and numerous Fireball shooters" at North Avenue Pub. Deputies arrested him at his home after the investigation.
The release states that on April 21 Borchering entered guilty pleas to aggravated DUI that caused great bodily harm and to leaving the scene of an accident resulting in personal injury or death. Judge Daniel Guerin ordered that the sentences on the two counts be served consecutively. Guerin sentenced Borchering to eight years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, to be served at 85 percent, on the aggravated DUI count, and to three years, to be served at 50 percent, on the leaving-the-scene count, for an aggregate term of 11 years.
"The defendant fled the scene without rendering aid and that drunk driving crashes are 100% avoidable," State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in the statement, according to the release from the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office, which framed the case as an example of the preventable harms of impaired driving.
Crash and Investigation
Prosecutors described the victim's injuries as extensive and said they were the basis for the aggravated DUI charge. The release notes that Borchering allegedly refused to provide a breath sample after his arrest, and that deputies later measured his blood-alcohol content at 0.171.
According to the State's Attorney's Office, Borchering first appeared in court the day after the crash. He was released pretrial under conditions that included SCRAM monitoring and an order to avoid alcohol.
Sentence Details and Legal Note
The sentences will be served consecutively in the Illinois Department of Corrections, which means Borchering must complete the eight-year term before the three-year term begins. The differing percentages, 85 percent on the aggravated DUI count and 50 percent on the leaving-the-scene count, will determine how much of each term he must serve before he is eligible for release under state rules.
The victim's current condition and any civil actions were not outlined in the State's Attorney's statement. Local court filings and future reporting may provide further detail as the case proceeds.
