A 25-year-old Aurora man on Wednesday denied charges he caused a fatal October crash while intoxicated on alcohol and drugs.
Anthony Potochney, who remains in Kane County Jail on $300,000 bail, pleaded not guilty to a 13-count indictment issued in December accusing him of reckless homicide, three counts of failure to stop after an accident and nine counts of aggravated driving under the influence. He returns to court on March 3 for a status hearing.
Prosecutors allege Potochney was drunk on Oct. 7 when he drove his Cadillac into the oncoming lane of traffic on Broadway near Pierce Street in Aurora around 9 p.m. Potochney broadsided a minivan occupied by nine-year-old Katie Jonak, two of her young friends and her mother, who tried to avoid the collision by attempting a sharp left turn. Jonak later died.
Potochney fled the crash scene, but was caught near the High Street Bridge. Police credited witnesses with identifying Potochney as the driver in the crash. He was taken to a hospital for minor injuries. While there, an Aurora police officer noted that Potochney refused to submit to testing that would determine his blood-alcohol content level. The officer noticed a smell of alcohol and marijuana coming from Potochney, in addition to “slurred” speech, the officer’s DUI report states, adding that Potochney “admitted to driving the offending vehicle.”
Court documents state Potochney acknowledged he drank beer and liquor, and smoked marijuana, in the hours before the crash.
Dan Campana is a freelance reporter for the Beacon-News.
