A woman from Kewanee who was accused of driving under the influence as a 17 year old and killing two people in 2021 has made a plea deal in the case.
Jerni Warner, now 19, appeared in court in Henry County with her attorney, Kevin Sullivan, on July 6. The state was represented by State’s Attorney Catherine Runty. According to the terms of the plea deal, the state dismissed count 2, one of the counts of aggravated DUI resulting in death, according to court records. Warner was sentenced to 14 years in prison on count 1, aggravated DUI resulting in death. She must serve 85% of the sentence, or 11.9 years, followed by two years of mandatory supervised release (parole). Warner received credit for serving 632 days in the Henry County Jail. She was assessed a $15,000 fine and other costs, including DUI analysis. Warner was held in the Mary Davis Detention Home in Galesburg for 314 days and was required to pay for the time spent there, a total of over $39,000, which has been assessed to her parents under 705 ILCS 405/6-9, court records show.
Warner was 17 years old on September 5, 2021 when police allege she was driving under the influence and struck a motorcycle driven by Garry and Leah Kelly of Moline and then struck a Chevy Suburban, causing it to roll over into a ditch with two adults and five children inside. The Kellys were pronounced dead at the scene, while the occupants of the SUV suffered injuries.
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