A Carbondale man was sentenced to prison Monday on one count of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol that involved the death of Matthew Dierker, according to Jackson County State’s Attorney Michael C. Carr. 

Seth Loyd, 23, pleaded guilty to the charge on Aug. 18 and was sentenced Monday to 55 months in prison followed by two years of mandatory supervised release. Part of his sentence also requires he undergo substance/alcohol abuse treatment. The maximum penalty in Illinois for a single count of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol is 14 years in prison.

Friends of Dierker think the sentencing is lax. 

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“I don’t think it’s long enough,” said Justin Rosenfield, a close friend of Dierker’s. “Matt was a huge impact on this community.”

Loyd was dismissed from six other offenses: two counts of reckless homicide, one other count of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, one count of driving an uninsured motor vehicle, one count of use of an electronic communication device and one count of expired registration.

Dierker died Nov. 15, 2014 from injuries sustained the previous day in an incident near the intersection of Old Highway 13 and Bigler Road in Carbondale. Police found Dierker lying unconscious on the left side of the road.

Dierker, 33, had two undergraduate degrees from SIUC in anthropology and Spanish, and was pursuing a degree in nursing. Rosenfield said Dierker was an avid cyclist and musician, and that he had a positive life transformation just before he died by quitting drinking alcohol and being increasingly health-conscious.  

Two witnesses told police they saw a 1997 Ford Escort weave from the center lane to the gravel shoulder, which then struck Dierker, who landed on the vehicle’s windshield. Another witness told officers she saw the vehicle swerve into the center of the road, correct itself, and then strike the victim, while she was traveling east on Old Highway 13.

At the scene, officers noticed a strong odor of alcohol coming from Loyd’s breath and his bloodshot and glassy eyes, according to the press release. Loyd told officers he was guilty of a DUI, according to police.

Loyd also told officers that he was texting his mother when he struck the victim and did not see Dierker on his bike. He said he was drunk the night before and had begun drinking the morning of the incident.

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Loyd’s blood alcohol content was .207 — more than twice the legal limit — according to a test by the Illinois State Police Crime Lab.

Rosenfield said Dierker is remembered as a good-caring person who would do anything for his friends, and continues to inspire the people who knew him.

While he is upset about the sentencing, he is more upset the incident occurred in the first place. The loss of his friend, he said, cannot be quelled by any amount of time served by Loyd.

“He was worth way more than four years,” Rosenfield said.

Bill Lukitsch can be contacted at [email protected] or on Twitter @Bill_LukitschDE.