An Aurora man will spend nearly a decade in prison for a 2023 drunk driving crash that killed a local mother.
Joshua Crye, 34, received a nine-year sentence today in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
The sentence follows a fatal three-vehicle collision on Eola Road on the night of April 6, 2023.
Investigators found that Crye was driving his Ford Escape at 85 m.p.h. when he crossed a raised center median.
His vehicle slammed head-on into northbound traffic, striking a car driven by Nicole Dickerson.
The impact was so severe that it pushed the vehicles into a third car.
Dickerson died from her injuries four days later at a local hospital.
Testing revealed Crye’s blood alcohol content was 0.183, which is more than double the legal limit.
State prosecutors argued for the maximum sentence of 14 years, highlighting the preventable nature of the tragedy.
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin stated that DUI crashes are not accidents, but the result of bad decisions.
Crye pleaded guilty in August to one count of Aggravated DUI Causing Death.
Judge Ann Celine O’Hallaren Walsh handed down the nine-year term during this morning’s hearing.
Crye must serve 85% of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.
He has been held in the DuPage County Jail since his arrest in June 2023.
A Legacy of Teaching and Kindness
Nicole Dickerson was a pillar of the community, serving as a fourth-grade teacher at Welch Elementary School.
She spent 27 years teaching in District 204 and was known as a “wickedly funny” and stylish friend to many.
She leaves behind her husband of 25 years, Jim, and two children, Macy, 19, and Charlie, 17.
Memories and Condolences for Nicole Dickerson
The community has poured out their hearts in remembrance of the woman they called a “beautiful angel.”
“Heaven has gained one of the world’s greatest persons,” wrote Damien Price, a friend who expressed deep gratitude for her life.
The Tsai family shared that Nicole was a “dear friend” and a wonderful coworker, praying that her memory remains a blessing.
Former student parents, like Natalie Johnson, remembered her “legacy of grace, kindness, and servant leadership” at Steck Elementary.
“My family has benefited because we encountered her as my son’s teacher,” Johnson added.
