Man involved in fatal crash of Dieterich resident sentenced to 10 years

A Sims man who was driving under the influence when his vehicle crossed the center line and crashed into an oncoming vehicle that left a former Dieterich resident dead was sentenced to 10 years in prison Wednesday.

After pleading guilty in January to aggravated driving under the influence, a Class 2 felony, Justin Dejaynes, 23, of Sims was sentenced to 10 years in prison in Wayne County Circuit Court Wednesday.

With the plea agreement, Dejaynes will receive 50 days of credit toward the 10 years for the time he spent in jail awaiting trial, said Wayne County State’s Attorney Kevin Kakac. Illinois law requires the defendant of this sort of case to serve at least 85 percent of the time he or she is sentenced.

With the agreement, Dejaynes also will have to pay a $2,500 fine, a $500 driving under the influence equipment fee and a $150 lab assessment fee, as well as have a professional substance abuse evaluation while in Illinois Department of Corrections custody.

He pleaded guilty to driving under the influence on July 3, 2007, on U.S. 45, 1 mile north of Geff. Dejaynes’ vehicle crossed the center line and hit a vehicle driven by Christopher Hardiek, 19, of Dieterich head-on at 1 a.m. Hardiek was pronounced dead at Fairfield Memorial Hospital at 2:25 a.m. Hardiek was returning home to Dieterich from a military assignment.

Dejaynes also was arrested in Marion County on March 21 for driving under the influence.

Kakac said he believes Dejaynes faces driving under the influence and driving while license is revoked charges in Marion County and any sentence he may possibly receive may be concurrent with the sentence he received in Wayne County.