A North Center woman was sentenced to six years in prison on Friday after pleading guilty to striking and killing a bicyclist while driving drunk in Lincoln Square.
On October 23, 2023, around 8 p.m., 31-year-old Kali Rynearson ran a red light and struck 59-year-old Donald Heggemann, who was riding northbound in a bike lane in the 5100 block of North Damen Avenue, authorities said. The impact forced Heggemann into a parked car, causing severe injuries that resulted in his death, according to a Chicago Police Department report.
Witnesses directed officers to Rynearson’s vehicle as she continued driving, and police detained her within minutes. Her blood alcohol concentration was 0.20, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08, the crash report stated. Officers also found a half-empty bottle of Jim Beam bourbon in her purse, according to the arrest report.
Rynearson was cited and released from custody after the crash, with prosecutors approving felony charges weeks later.
She pleaded guilty on Wednesday to aggravated DUI causing a fatal accident. On Friday, Judge Michael Clancy sentenced her to six years, with 544 days of credit for time spent on an ankle monitor while the case was pending.
