Naperville man sentenced for fatal DUI crash

DUPAGE COUNTY - A Naperville man has learned his fate after driving while intoxicated and causing a crash that killed three people.

On Oct. 30, 2021, Lisle police responded to a crash around 1:18 a.m. at the intersection of Warrenville Road and Corporate West Drive. At the scene were two vehicles, one which was cut in half.

Inside that vehicle, officers located 46-year-old Andrew Purtill, a victim, who was pronounced dead at the scene. In the second vehicle, which was being driven by the suspect – Brendan Wydajewski – police found 21-year-old Graciela Leanos and 22-year-old Geovanny Alvarez. Alvarez was dead at the scene, and Leanos was taken to a hospital where she later succumbed to her injuries.

Wydajewski was located on the ground near the driver's side of his vehicle. He was seriously injured, and taken to a hospital for treatment. He was released from the hospital on Nov. 28. The next day, he appeared in court where his bond was set at $500,000. He posted bond and was released from custody.

Brendan Wydajewski

An investigation into the crash revealed that Wydajewski was driving 122 mph westbound on Warrenvile Road when he crashed into the other vehicle, splitting it in half. Wydajewski's Blood Alcohol Content was .147 — nearly twice the legal limit.

"Like all DUI cases, the case against Mr. Wydajewski was 100% avoidable," DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said. "Because of Mr. Wydajewski’s reckless actions, the lives of Andrew Purtill, Graciela Leanos and Geovanny Alvarez have been reduced to a statistic and a tragic reminder of the deadly consequences of drinking and driving. As I have said countless times in the past, if you have been drinking, do not drive. Don’t allow yourself to become a statistic."

On March 18, 2024, Wydajewski, 24, was sentenced to 18 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. He will be required to serve 85% of his sentence before being eligible for parole.