HAMMOND, Ind. — An off-duty Hammond police officer told investigators he had about four beers before he got behind the wheel to drive to his shift, according to a court affidavit in the Oct. 16 crash that killed a Gary man.
Officer Alonso J. Lopez, 34, of Hammond, was charged Oct. 22 in Lake County with one count of causing death while operating a vehicle while intoxicated and one count of reckless homicide, both felonies, the Lake County Prosecutor's Office said, according to CBS News Chicago and FOX 32 Chicago.
Lopez was arrested the same day, The Times of Northwest Indiana reported.
The online court record shows that on Oct. 22, Magistrate Mark S. Watson first entered an order finding no probable cause. The docket entry says the probable cause affidavit, "as written," did not sufficiently establish that the listed victim died as a result of the incident. An amended charging document and an amended affidavit were then filed. Watson found probable cause, and a warrant was issued and served the same day, the record shows. The docket entry for the probable cause order reads "bail set 50,000/5,000" and does not break down the two figures. Lopez posted bond at the jail Oct. 23, according to the record.
Key facts
| Charged | Alonso J. Lopez, 34, of Hammond, a Hammond police officer |
| Charges | 1 count OWI causing death (Level 4 felony); 1 count reckless homicide (Level 5 felony), per the court record |
| Filed | Thursday, Oct. 22, Lake County |
| Crash | Friday, Oct. 16, about 8:55 p.m., Columbia Avenue at 165th Street |
| Killed | Thomas Hunt Jr., 73, of Gary |
| Preliminary breath test | 0.118, per the affidavit |
| Custody | Arrested Oct. 22; posted bond Oct. 23, per the court record |
| Case | 45G03-2610-F4-000173, Lake Superior Court, Criminal Division 3. An initial hearing is set for 8:30 a.m. Nov. 6 in Lake County's criminal courts in Crown Point, the online court record shows. |
What the affidavit alleges
The claims below come from the probable cause affidavit, as reported by FOX 32. They are allegations.
- A witness put Lopez's pickup at an estimated 60 to 70 mph northbound on Columbia Avenue, where the limit is 35.
- That witness claimed Lopez ran a red light but did not see the collision.
- A trooper who reviewed surveillance video said it showed the truck coming in at a high rate of speed, but the light changed from green to yellow as it passed through.
- Another driver involved in the crash told investigators he was nearly certain the light was red when Lopez entered the intersection, and estimated Lopez at about twice the limit.
- A preliminary breath test showed 0.118.
- A trooper at the hospital reported a strong odor of alcohol, red, watery eyes and speech that was sometimes slurred.
Lopez told investigators he stopped drinking between 4:30 and 5 p.m. and was headed to a shift that began at 9 p.m., the affidavit says. He said Hunt's vehicle pulled in front of his truck and that he tried to brake but could not stop in time.
The crash
State police have said Lopez's black Chevrolet Silverado hit Hunt's Toyota Highlander as Hunt pulled onto Columbia from a business lot. The Highlander crashed into a fence. Hunt died days before his 74th birthday, Lakeshore Public Media reported.
The pickup spun into the southbound lanes and was struck by a Ford SUV. All three drivers went to Community Hospital in Munster. The Ford's driver told police Lopez appeared to stagger after getting out, according to the affidavit.
Lopez gave a blood sample at the hospital. It went to the state toxicology lab, and the affidavit does not include the results. After the crash, he was held on a 48-hour probable cause hold and later released, state police said.
Hammond stepped aside
Hammond police asked state police to run an independent investigation and put Lopez on administrative leave, CBS News Chicago reported earlier.
What the law says
The court record lists the OWI count as a Level 4 felony and the reckless homicide count as a Level 5 felony. Under Indiana law, a Level 4 felony carries two to 12 years in prison, and a Level 5 felony carries one to six years. Indiana law makes it a crime to drive with an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more.
What comes next
The case is pending in Lake Superior Court, Criminal Division 3. An initial hearing is set for 8:30 a.m. Nov. 6 in Lake County's criminal courts in Crown Point, the online court record shows. Charges are accusations. Lopez is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Photo credit
- Lead photo: 165th Street east from the Monon Trail overpass, Hammond. AlphaBeta135, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. Resized.
- 165th Street west from the Monon Trail overpass, Hammond. AlphaBeta135, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. Resized.
- Columbia Avenue at the South Shore Line and Interstate 90 overpasses, Hammond. AlphaBeta135, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. Resized.
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