DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced that a Geneva man charged with crashing into a vehicle on the side of the roadway killing one man and seriously injuring another entered a blind plea of guilty yesterday to one count of Aggravated DUI Causing Death (Class 2 Felony) and one count of Aggravated DUI Causing Great Bodily Harm (Class 4 Felony). Nicholas Roepke, 30 (d.o.b. 8/8/1992) of the 0N200 block of Dooley, appeared in court yesterday afternoon in front of Judge Michael Reidy, who accepted Roepke’s guilty plea. On March 10, 2022, Roepke appeared at a bond hearing where Judge Michael Reidy set bond at $500,000 with 10% to apply. Roepke posted the necessary 10%, or $50,000, later that day and was released from custody. He has remained out on bond since that time on SCRAM monitoring.
On March 7, 2022, at approximately 7:40 p.m., officers with the Aurora Police Department responded to a crash on northbound Eola Road. Upon their arrival, officers found the victim, seventy-three-year-old Willie Mosley, of Maywood, suffering from serious injuries. Mosley was immediately transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased. An investigation into the crash found that Mosley and another individual had stopped on the road and, with the assistance of a good samaritan who pulled over to help, were reloading a refrigerator onto a pickup truck that had fallen off the truck. As the men were loading the refrigerator onto the truck, a vehicle, driven by Roepke, crashed into the truck pinning Mosley between the vehicle and the truck and injuring the two other men. The man traveling with Mosley sustained minor injuries and refused medical treatment. The man who pulled over to assist was taken to a hospital for medical attention after suffering serious injuries. Roepke was transported to a local hospital for medical attention to minor injuries and was subsequently released to the Aurora Police Department. The investigation also found that Roepke’s BAC was .214 shortly after the crash.
“Just over one year ago, Willie Mosley’s life came to a violent, abrupt end simply because Mr. Roepke, with a stunning disregard for not only his own personal safety, but also the safety of innocent others, got behind the wheel after he had been drinking,” Berlin said. “Driving is a privilege, not a right. It is a privilege and a responsibility that if not respected, can lead to tragic, irreversible outcomes, as we saw in this case. There are no words I can offer to the family and friends of Mr. Mosley that will fill the void caused by his absence. I can only offer my sincere condolences and wish them strength as they continue their lives without the love and companionship Mr. Mosley provided them. I also wish the individual who was seriously injured in this incident well, as he continues his rehabilitation. I thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Robert Willis and Denis Cahill for their efforts in holding Mr. Roepke for the death of Willie Mosley.”
Roepke’s next court appearance is scheduled for May 2, 2023, for return of the Pre-sentence Report. He faces a penalty of up to fourteen years in the Illinois Department of Corrections to be served at 85%.
