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Man pleads guilty to DUI, reckless homicide of Downers Grove North student

The man who struck and killed Downers Grove North junior Elizabeth "Beth" Dunlap last February pleaded guilty Thursday to aggravated driving under the combined influence of alcohol and drugs, and to reckless homicide.

Joseph Kucharski of Naperville could receive probation or up to 14 years in prison when he is sentenced March 6 on the DUI charge.

If sentenced to prison, he would have to serve at least 85% of the time. Any prison time for the reckless homicide charge would be served concurrently.

"While today's plea does nothing to ease the pain Beth's family, friends and the entire community have endured since Feb. 19 and will most likely feel their entire lives, it is the first step in holding Mr. Kucharski responsible for his incredibly reckless and irresponsible actions," DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a news release.

DuPage Judge Liam Brennan ruled that Kucharski can remain free on bail until he is sentenced. Kucharski must continue to wear alcohol- and drug-consumption monitors and continue to live in a sober-living house.

Kucharski told Brennan the sober-living house requires members to attend daily Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and that he has attended one to three sessions each day. He also said he leads some of the meetings.

On Feb. 19, Beth Dunlap was crossing Main Street at Grant Street, in a crosswalk at a traffic signal, from a parking lot to the front of the high school. Kucharski drove through a red light, in the wrong lane, striking Beth so hard that her head damaged the frame of his car's windshield, and her backpack became lodged in the front fender, Assistant State's Attorney Kristin Sullivan told Brennan.

Beth suffered traumatic brain injuries. She underwent surgery but was ultimately declared brain-dead, and died Feb. 22. Her family donated her organs to Gift of Hope.

They also established the Beth Dunlap 18 Foundation, encouraging people to help others. Shortly after her death, there was a campaign asking people to do 18 good or kind things for others, with the hashtags #18for18 and #bethstrong.

Beth's varsity volleyball uniform number was 18.

The crash happened at 10:55 a.m. Beth had been given permission to arrive at school late that day and was walking with a teacher.

According to Sullivan, Kucharski told police several different things about how fast he was driving and initially claimed the sun was in his eyes and he didn't see the traffic light. He said he didn't realize he had hit someone.

Police found Benadryl, suboxone and Xanax - for which he didn't have prescriptions - in his car. At the hotel where he was living, they found drug pipes, crack cocaine, cocaine, vodka and empty beer cans.

Kucharski ultimately told them he had been on a four-day cocaine bender, getting little sleep, and had taken Xanax to help him sleep. A friend of his told police the two had gone twice that weekend to Chicago to buy crack cocaine and smoked it at the hotel, and that Kucharski also smoked it while driving.

No members of the Dunlap family attended Thursday's hearing.

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Elizabeth "Beth" Dunlap Daily Herald file photo
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