Rising McCormick senior Michael Szot’s blood alcohol content was .14 at the time of car crash that killed two
July 21, 2014
Rising McCormick senior Michael Szot had a blood alcohol content of .14 Saturday morning when he crashed a car into a water-filled quarry, killing two passengers, a spokesman for the DuPage County State’s Attorney said. The legal limit is .08.
Rising McCormick senior Mihirtej Boddupalli was one of the passengers who died in the accident.
Szot, 21, was charged with four counts of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol causing the death of another and two counts of reckless homicide. He faces up to 28 years in prison.
Szot’s bond was set at $250,000 Sunday morning, but only 10 percent, or $25,000, needed to be posted for his release, a booking officer at DuPage County Jail said. He was released from jail on bond Monday afternoon. Szot is scheduled to appear in court on August 11.
(Updated: Rising McCormick senior Michael Szot released from jail on bond after suspected DUI crash)
Szot admitted to smoking marijuana prior to the accident and was found in possession of a marijuana pipe, according to a news release from the office of Robert Berlin, the State’s Attorney of DuPage County.
The accident occurred at about 2 a.m. Saturday morning in Naperville, Illinois. The car crashed into several trees before landing in Quarry Lake, resulting in the death of both passengers. Szot was able to swim to the shore safely. All three occupants were transported to Edward Hospital where the passengers were pronounced dead.
(Preliminary report: Rising McCormick senior Mihirtej Boddupalli died from drowning)
A preliminary report from the coroner’s office determined the cause of death for Boddupalli and the other passenger in the car, Sajaad Safiullah Syed, a 21-year-old Naperville resident and rising senior at Indiana University, was drowning.
The definitive cause of death can not be determined for one to two weeks until the results of the toxicology and pathology reports are released, said DuPage County Coroner Richard Jorgensen.
Joe Colsant, a partner at Fawell & Associates, the firm representing Szot, declined to comment on Szot’s case.
The University also declined to comment on the case.
Paige Leskin contributed reporting.
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