Illinois: Kane County prosecutor McMahon announces guilty plea by Steven Luellen for DUI death of Miguel Agustin-Tellez

From Kane County Illinois States Attorney:

ELGIN MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO 2014 FATAL DUI

July 10, 2015

An Elgin man will return to prison after he pleaded guilty to his involvement in a fatal DUI crash that killed a 35-year-old man more than a year ago.

Steve Luellen DUI fatal Kane County. Pleaded guilty.  Above photo at time of booking.

Steven T. Luellen, 35 (d.o.b. 2-4-1980), of the 300 block of Jefferson Street, Elgin, on Thursday, July 9, 2014, agreed to a sentence of eight years and nine months in the Illinois Department of Corrections in exchange for a guilty plea to aggravated DUI, a Class 2 felony.

Circuit Judge John A. Barsanti accepted the plea.

At about 5 p.m. May 27, 2014, Luellen was driving a 2011 Nissan Maxima east on Jefferson Street in Elgin. He was being pursued by an Elgin police vehicle with its emergency lights activated. A friend was riding in the front passenger seat of the Nissan. Luellen failed to yield at a stop sign, accelerated, swerved around other cars and eventually ran through a stop sign at North Liberty Street, where he crashed into a 2002 Mazda MPV being driven by 35-year-old Miguel Agustin-Tellez of Carpentersville. Agustin-Tellez was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The passenger in Luellen’s car was seriously injured. Luellen suffered two broken legs. The investigation revealed that Luellen’s blood contained alcohol, cocaine, THC and benzodiazepine at the time of the crash.

Steven Luellen with his prison hairdo

Steven Luellen with his prison hairdo

Luellen was wanted on a warrant for a parole violation at the time. The Nissan was traveling at a speed of at least 67 mph at the time of the crash. Elgin police ended the pursuit when Luellen accelerated, four block before Luellen crashed.

According to Illinois law, Luellen must serve at least 85 percent of the sentence. He receives was given credit for at least 409 days served in the Kane County jail, where he has been held in lieu of $1 million bail.

The case was prosecuted by Kane County Assistant State’s Attorney Joseph Cullen.

“Miguel Agustin-Tellez was killed because Mr. Luellen, drunk and high on a cocktail of drugs and alcohol, chose to flaunt the law. Taking drugs and then driving creates is a danger that far too often ends tragically,” Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon said.