Huntley man charged with felony DUI in what authorities say is 5th arrest

A Huntley man was charged with six counts of felony DUI following a head-on collision with a semi-truck at Big Timber Road and Illinois Route 72 in Rutland Township, according to Kane County Sheriff’s reports and court records.

Michael A. Vanacker, 55, of the 17N200 block of Manning Road, Huntley, was also charged with misdemeanor driving under the influence, driving with a blood alcohol content greater than 0.08% – his blood alcohol was allegedly measured at 0.304% nearly four times the legal limit – transportation of open liquor by a driver, driving with a revoked license, driving without insurance, driving too fast for conditions, and making an improper turn, court and police records show.

Deputies were called to the intersection shortly after 4:15 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21 when they found an orange 2002 Ford Ranger pickup truck smashed into the front end of a 2014 Freightliner semi-truck, reports stated.

The semi was facing south, attempting to turn left to go east on Route 72. The truck driver told police Vanacker was traveling west and appeared to have lost consciousness before turning north into opposite lanes of traffic and striking the semi, according to police reports.

Deputies found seven 375mL bottles and a 1200mL bottle of vodka, six of which were empty and two were half-empty, the report stated. Vanacker was taken to Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin, the report stated.

According to authorities’ report, Vanacker told deputies he got off work around 4 p.m., started drinking between noon and 12:30 p.m., mixing vodka with Monster Energy drinks, and stopped drinking between 3 and 4 p.m.

“Michael would later say that he had 2-5 mixed drinks of Monster energy drinks mixed with vodka,” the report stated. “Michael named this concoction ‘Pink Drink.’”

Vanacker is being held in the Kane County jail. His next court date is March 13.

The most serious charges he faces are two Class 1 felonies, one for what authorities said was the fifth DUI charge and one for a fifth violation of a blood alcohol content of 0.16% or more.

A Class 1 felony is punishable by four to 15 years or 48 months of probation, if convicted.

Pingree Grove and Gilberts police assisted at the scene and Elgin police assisted at the hospital, the report stated.