Party Bus Intentionally Rams Vehicle Outside Joliet Bar: 22 Charges

JOLIET, IL — A 42-year-old Joliet man faces 22 criminal charges after Joliet police say Thomas Lopez used the party bus he was operating to intentionally ram into a vehicle with six people inside. The incident happened in the parking lot of Phil's Corner, a Joliet tavern at the corner of Raynor Avenue and Theodore Street.

Joliet police say four people — including Lopez — were sent to St. Joe's hospital after the incident outside 1527 Raynor Ave. The Will County State's Attorney's Office of Jim Glasgow has filed a staggering total of 22 criminal charges against Lopez including: aggravated battery, aggravated fleeing/eluding a peace officer, obstructing a peace officer, DUI, and DUI – BAC Over .08.

Two of the people who were victims in the incident that happened outside Phil's Corner filed orders of protection against Lopez. A 23-year-old victim wrote, "I arrived at the scene at 3:12 a.m. to meet my buddy and his family member when Mr. Thomas Lopez was having an argument with my buddy and his family. We all hopped into my buddy's cousin's car to leave and prevent further issues when Thomas Lopez decided to hop into a party bus with people inside the bus and rammed into the vehicle we were in, trying to flip the vehicle."

The victim stated in court records that Lopez rammed into their vehicle three or four times "with the heavy bus and decided to take off as soon as police were present, causing injuries to multiple people and myself having bruised rib cage and collapsing to the floor on scene."

According to Joliet Police Sgt. Dwayne English, the following events led to Lopez's arrest, which included the deployment of a Joliet police officer Taser against him:

• At 3:12 a.m. Sunday, Joliet police were sent to Phil's Corner for a report of a party bus striking an occupied vehicle while in the parking lot.
• Officers saw the Ford party bus-style vehicle, driven by Lopez, appeared to be intentionally ramming into another vehicle occupied by six people.

• Lopez then fled in the bus, and a Joliet pursuit ensued.
• While fleeing the police, Lopez crashed into an unoccupied parked vehicle in the 1200 block of Wilcox Street, and he continued on without stopping.
• Lopez stopped near Curtis Avenue and Kelly Avenue and ran from the party bus.
• Officers encountered Lopez in someone's backyard in the 1200 block of North Raynor and deployed a taser, taking him into custody.
• Following the chase, Joliet police learned there were three other passengers aboard Lopez's party bus. One woman on the bus was taken to Ascension St Joseph Medical Center for minor injuries she suffered during the chase.
• Two men inside the vehicle struck in the parking lot of Phil's Corner were also taken to St. Joe's hospital by Joliet Fire Department ambulances for minor injuries.
• Lopez also went to St. Joe's hospital. After his release, Lopez was taken to the Joliet Police Station for processing and then to the Will County Adult Detention Facility.

According to Joliet police court records, a hospital blood draw for medical purposes on Lopez determined he registered a blood alcohol concentration of 0.114, which is well above the legal limit to be considered intoxicated in Illinois, 0.08.

Lopez was let out of Will County Jail on Monday evening after posting 10 percent of his $50,000 bail. Jail records had an address for him in the 100 block of St. Joseph Avenue.