OREGON – A plea deal offered to the Oregon man accused of causing a fatal boat crash nearly two years ago has been extended to the end of day on Thursday, April 19.
There will be another hearing in the case of Marc Mongan on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Jury selection for his trial is expected to start on Monday, April 23 if no deal is reached.
Prosecutors and attorneys for Mongan met with Judge John Redington in his chambers for about 40 minutes on Tuesday to discuss the deal.
Mongan is charged with three counts of reckless homicide and reckless conduct along with a charge of aggravated DUI, all felony charges. He was involved in a boat crash on the Rock River in June 2016, which resulted in the death of 31-year-old Megan Wells of Rockford.
Before that meeting, attorneys for the state and the defense argued over barring expert testimony in the upcoming trial. State’s attorney Brooke Shupe said that the defense expert is not an expert at all in waterway accidents. She said the independent expert has experience in roadway crashes, but not on the water.

“This accident didn’t involve the road,” she said.
Defense attorney Russ Crull said their expert did indeed have experience in waterway accident investigations, and is an accident reconstruction specialist.
“I think he is absolutely more than qualitied,” Crull said.
Redington said he will reserve his ruling on the defense expert’s qualifications until he has been questioned in court.
The judge also said the expert’s report presented by the defense was incomplete, and he gave him until Friday to have the investigation completed.
“He’s not going to be on the witness stand unless he completes this investigation,” Redington told the defense.