(Lake County, IL) Late afternoon Tuesday, November 1, 2022, a Lake County judge sentenced a man to 17 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for a DUI crash in 2019 that left two dead. 

Victor Ortiz, 54, was convicted on August 10, 2022, on four counts of Aggravated DUI after a jury trial before the Honorable Judge George Strickland.   

“We hope that the jury’s verdict and the Court’s sentence has brought some measure of justice to the family after this 2019 tragedy that claimed two lives. We are satisfied that this lengthy sentence protects the community for years to come and tells the public that these types of cases will be handled seriously by our office and by the Courts. I want to thank the Sheriff’s Office for their effective investigation and our trial prosecutors who got the job done in the courtroom this summer,” said Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart after the sentencing.  

On June 8, 2019, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to a car crash on Fairfield Rd., north of Route 60, in Fremont Township. The Sheriff’s Technical Crash Investigation Unit determined Ortiz’s van was going southbound on Fairfield Road when it crossed the center line and side swiped a Honda Odyssey before striking a Kia head on. The crash resulted in the death of Barbara Gaulke of Ingleside, 56, and Sandra Forscht of Round Lake Beach, 64.  

Ortiz was charged on June 29, 2019, after the Lake County Sheriff’s Office received DUI test results that demonstrated Ortiz’s impairment after the crash. Because he was hospitalized, investigators needed to wait on forensic testing results to present the case to the State’s Attorney’s office.  

During the sentencing hearing, the State called two witnesses to present evidence in aggravation. The first witness testified that on June 28, 2019, 20 days after the fatal crash, Ortiz committed a separate, unrelated DUI in Kildeer.  

The second witness testified that on June 29, 2019, the Sheriff’s Office received a tip stating Ortiz was attempting to flee the country. After contacting Chicago Police Department, Chicago Police Officers were able to locate Ortiz and take him into custody. 

Prosecutors also presented a victim impact statement from a relative of one of the victims. The statement expressed the overwhelming sadness the victim’s family has felt since the tragic accident. The family described a “a hole in their hearts that will never be filled.” Additional victim impact statements were submitted in writing, describing the impact of this crime on other family member’s lives. 

The State argued to Judge Strickland that Ortiz’s behavior was extremely dangerous and reckless. Prosecutors argued that Ortiz showed a disregard for the safety of the community when he got behind the wheel and drove with a blood alcohol concentration of almost three times the legal limit. Prosecutors emphasized Ortiz’s lack of remorse and disregard for the human life when, less than a month after the fatal accident, he drove a car again with an even higher blood alcohol concentration. Prosecutors asked that Ortiz be sentenced to 22 years in the Department of Corrections.  

Before Judge Strickland sentenced Ortiz, he emphasized how Ortiz had never taken any responsibility or accountability for his actions. Strickland further added that he did not find the defendant’s trial testimony to be credible.   

Sentencing laws allowed Strickland to sentence Ortiz to a range of 6 to 28 years in prison with the term to be served at 85%.