Illinois woman crashes Dodge Dart, allegedly killing 2 people. Then asks about graduation after police find a severed leg: “When can I go to school?”

Stephanie Melgoza is currently serving a 14 year prison sentence after a 2022 drunk driving crash that resulted in the deaths of two people. The 27-year-old Illinois woman, who was a university student at the time of the incident, entered a guilty plea in April 2023 for two counts each of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol and aggravated reckless driving.

The crash occurred on April 10, 2022, around 10 PM near the Full Throttle bar in Illinois. Melgoza called 911 after the collision, which involved her Dodge Dart. Responding officers found the vehicle in a totaled state, with a police report noting a severed leg sticking out of the grill. Despite the severity of the scene and the efforts of first responders to resuscitate the victims, 55-year-old Paul Prowant and his 43-year-old girlfriend, Andrea Rosewicz, died from their injuries.

Fox Digital News got the footage from the body camera of the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Department and the East Peoria Police Department. It showed Melgoza laughing, singing, and smiling throughout the arrest and while she was at the hospital. When asked about her alcohol consumption, she told officers she had finished three vodka drinks and was just getting her night started. An open handle of Tito’s vodka was discovered on the floor of her car.

Instead of panic, Melgoza was worried about her graduation date

While at the hospital, Melgoza appeared more concerned with her academic schedule than the lives lost in the crash. She repeatedly asked East Peoria Officer Jeffrey Bieber if the incident would impact her graduation, which was four weeks away. She also asked if she would be able to attend her night class the following day. When Officer Bieber informed her that she had killed two people, she replied, “Yes, I’m just wondering when I can go to school.”

The officer expressed his frustration with her lack of remorse during the encounter. He told her, “You’re on body camera, being completely careless about killing two people tonight. You couldn’t care less. That’s sad and pathetic and horrible all at the same time.” When Melgoza asked if he could say that as a cop, he confirmed that he could.

Melgoza’s behavior showed how high her blood alcohol level was

Her behavior continued as she waited for a nurse to perform a DUI kit. She danced and sang in the hospital room and brought up a planned vacation to Las Vegas. She told the officer, “It’s going to be so fun, I’m going to start off with two Long Islands.”

When the officer asked if she had already had enough to drink, she laughed and remarked, “We’re talking about Vegas. There is no limit in Vegas, right?” She also made a joke about joining the DUI Club and requested her phone to message co-workers who she claimed also had DUIs.

Records show her blood alcohol level was .264, which is over three times the legal limit in the United States. During her Illinois State sentencing hearing in April 2023, Melgoza offered an apology to the court. She stated, “I’m so sorry for everything, and I will never, ever commit anything like that again.” She also claimed she had not consumed alcohol since the night of the crash and did not plan on drinking in the future.

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