Oswego parks director resigns following charge of attempted reckless homicide

Oswegoland Park District Executive Director Tom Betsinger has resigned from his position after being charged on July 13 with allegedly attempting to run over a person with his pickup truck in Yorkville and driving under the influence of alcohol.

The Oswegoland Park District Board of Commissioners has received and accepted his resignation. The Park District announced his resignation on July 25.

“The Park District is committed to upholding our core values of integrity, innovation, and collaboration, while holding our officers and employees to the highest standards of conduct,” the Oswegoland Park District said in a news release. “We remain steadfast in fostering a safe environment for our employees and patrons and in engaging our community with transparency and respect. Above all, we are dedicated to our purpose of creating opportunities for a healthy community”

The board now plans to launch a search for a new executive director “who will build on our progress and continue to advance the district’s programs and services,” the release said.

At the July 17 Park Board meeting, commissioners appointed Oswegoland Park District Director of Parks and Planning Chad Feldotto as the district’s deputy executive director. Earlier in the meeting, commissioners ratified the action taken by Board President Dave Behrens to place Betsinger on paid administrative leave.

Betsinger became the park district’s executive director in December 2023 after Rich Zielke retired from the position after 17 years with the district and 30 years in the parks and recreation field.

He began with the Oswegoland Park District in 1997 as a recreation supervisor overseeing athletics and special events. He was promoted to the position of recreation superintendent in 2008 and then recreation director in 2018.

Betsinger also is a former Montgomery Village Board trustee.

The person who Betsinger allegedly attempted to run over while driving under the influence of alcohol has told Yorkville police that he did not know Betsinger.

“We have no evidence to suggest Betsinger and the victim had any prior relationship or knowledge of one another,” Yorkville Police Deputy Chief Garrett Carlyle said in an email. “The victim claimed he had never met nor interacted with Betsinger prior to the incident. Betsinger chose to exercise his right not to speak with investigators.”

A motive is not known and the victim was not injured, he said.

Betsinger, 50, of Montgomery, faces several charges, including aggravated assault, criminal damage to property, attempted reckless homicide and driving under the influence of alcohol. Yorkville police responded about 8:40 p.m. July 13 to a business on the 1500 block of Corneils Road.

A witness reported a black Toyota pickup truck crashing into multiple vehicles in what appeared to be an attempt to strike another person, police said in a news release.

Before police arrived, Betsinger allegedly fled the scene. Police said they found damaged property along with several damaged vehicles.

A short time later, Betsinger’s pickup truck was located one mile east, off the roadway in a ditch on Corneils Road. Police believe the suspect lost control of the vehicle.

Betsinger was found near the pickup truck and police said he was taken into custody without further incident.

A police investigation revealed surveillance video from a nearby business showing Betsinger’s vehicle driving off the parking lot surface, appearing to intentionally attempt striking a person multiple times before crashing into two unoccupied parked cars and fleeing the area.