Man gets 3 years for crash that killed motorcycle rider
By Stephanie Lulay slulay@stmedianetwork.com December 1, 2012 5:38PM
Matthew Lambert is charged with reckless homicide in Kendall County for an October traffic accident.
Updated: January 3, 2013 6:33AM
YORKVILLE — A Somonauk man was sentenced to three years in prison for a crash that killed a motorcycle passenger in Kendall County.
Matthew Lambert, 29, of the 13000 block of Suydam Road, pleaded guilty in September to three felonies — aggravated drunken driving causing death, aggravated drunken driving causing great bodily harm and reckless homicide — in the crash that killed Colleen Hunkler of Wilmington.
Lambert faced up to 31 years in prison for the crash.
Kelly Young, Hunkler’s older sister, said Lambert apologized to the family in court. The crash happened near her Yorkville home.
“I felt he was very remorseful in the courtroom that day. That made a big effect on me,” she said.
But Young said she still does not feel that the sentence was fair.
“People who get caught with drugs serve more time than someone who kills another with a motor vehicle,” she said.
At 8:25 p.m. Oct. 10, 2011, police were called to a car-vs.-motorcycle crash near Walker and Grove roads. According to police, Lambert was driving his car south on Grove Road when he turned left onto Walker Road without yielding to a motorcycle. The motorcycle’s driver, Gregory Kawohl, 45, of Plainfield, and his passenger, Hunkler, 46, were both taken to Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora. Hunkler later died at the hospital from the injuries suffered in the crash.
Lambert was not injured, but officials took blood and urine samples. An analysis by the State Police lab showed that Lambert’s blood-alcohol level was higher than .08, the legal limit to drive, and he had marijuana in his system, police said.
