Stolen Car Blows Red Light, Plows Into Joliet Motorist: Sheriff

JOLIET, IL — Jennifer Palmer, a 39-year-old Joliet woman driving a stolen 2011 Hyundai, ran a red light and crashed into a 20-year-old motorist at Henderson Avenue and Cass Street while trying to get away from a Will County Sheriff's deputy, according to sheriff's reports. Now, Palmer is in Will County's Jail and prosecutors have filed 10 felony charges against her.

At the time of her wreck, Palmer had a defaced gun inside her purse, as well as cocaine and heroin, according to sheriff's officials.

Sheriff's office spokeswoman Kathy Hoffmeyer said that Sunday night's incident happened around 10:20 p.m.

According to Hoffmeyer:

A sheriff's deputy spotted the previously reported stolen car on Joliet's east side near Jackson Street and Henderson Avenue.

When he tried to pull her over, Palmer hit the gas and sped away. The deputy did not activate his sirens, but he continued to follow the stolen car at a safe distance.

When Palmer came to the red light at Henderson and Cass, she blew through the intersection, crashing into a Kia driven by the 20-year-old Joliet man.

Palmer and her two passengers were taken to the hospital. One of her passengers suffered a collapsed lung and was in stable condition at St. Joe's hospital.

The 20-year-old crash victim insisted he was not seriously hurt and refused to go to the hospital.

When sheriff's deputies searched Palmer's stolen car and the inside of her purse, they found Palmer had a defaced Smith & Wesson revolver with five bullets loaded inside the gun. She also had several Ziploc baggies of pills, cocaine and heroin.

The Will County State's Attorney's Office has charged Palmer with:

• 3 counts of possession of controlled substances
• aggravated unlawful use of a weapon
• 2 counts of armed violence
• possession of a defaced gun
• possession of a stolen gun
• aggravated reckless driving
• aggravated driving on a revoked driver's license

After being discharged from St. Joe's hospital, Palmer was booked into the Will County Jail on Monday. Her bail is set at $200,000. She listed her address as 1730 McDonough Street, which is now called the Baymont Inn & Suites.