BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — A Bloomington woman was sentenced last week to 10 years in prison in connection with a deadly crash last year that killed her 8-year-old son.

Stephany Flores-Ramirez, 34, pleaded guilty in McLean County Circuit Court to aggravated DUI as well as a lesser version of that charge earlier this year in connection with the July 3, 2024, collision on Interstate 74. She was sentenced on June 5.

The agreement she entered into with McLean County prosecutors capped her prison term at 10 years and also saw other counts dropped. Aggravated DUI, when there is a death involved, carries a prison range of three to 14 years.

Under state law, she must serve at least 85% of her sentence, meaning that with five days served, she could get out in about 8 1/2 years.

Probation was an option, but she would have had to show “extraordinary circumstances” why a judge should not send her to prison. That’s different from most crimes, as the burden is on a defendant — not prosecutors — to show why probation is appropriate.

She was also ordered to pay $1.8 million in restitution to the victim, as well as to the Bloomington Fire Department.

The Illinois State Police investigated the deadly three-vehicle crash that happened on July 3 that resulted in the death of Stevenson Elementary student Raymundo Bucio-Flores, of Bloomington.

The collision happened just before 10 p.m. in the westbound lanes of Interstate 74 near milepost 139. That’s a few miles east of the interchange with U.S. Route 51, according to court records.

According to court records, Flores-Ramirez drove an SUV, crossed the center median and collided with a delivery van and semi. The van’s driver was seriously injured. The driver of the semi reported no injuries on scene, according to the state police.

Prosecutors alleged that Flores-Ramirez had an alcohol concentration in her blood or breath that was .08 or greater during the incident.

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