DEKALB COUNTY – The man driving the semi that collided with and killed a DeKalb County Sheriff’s deputy admits he was under the influence of drugs at the time of the accident.
Nathan Sweeney, 45, pleaded guilty on June 26 to one count of aggravated DUI causing death. Two additional aggravated DUI charges and a reckless homicide charge were dropped as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.
Sweeney was driving a Kenworth semi around 10:30 p.m. on March 28, 2024, when he collided with Deputy Musil’s squad car, which was parked on the shoulder of Illinois Route 23 in Waterman.
Musil, 35, later died of her injuries in a DeKalb hospital. She was a five-year DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office veteran who also served in the Army National Guard as a military police officer and in Afghanistan.
The mother of three was recently honored in Springfield at a state ceremony commemorating officers killed in the line of duty.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias has also called for a federal audit of Kane County in connection with the case.
