Truck driver charged with Romeoville reckless homicide of Lyft driver, passenger

The driver of a Mack truck has been charged with the reckless homicide of a Lyft driver and his passenger in a three-vehicle crash last year in Romeoville.

About 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, Ismael Pacheco-Jimenez, 40, of Maywood, was booked into the Will County jail on felony charges of reckless homicide and aggravated DUI over the June 10, 2022 crash in Romeoville.

The criminal complaint alleged Pacheco-Jimenez was under the influence while driving the Mack truck and his reckless driving caused the fatal crash.

Lyft driver, Ali Jabali, 46, of Joliet, and his passenger, Gustavo Loustaunau Orosa, 55, of Braidwood, were both killed in the crash that involved Jabali’s Hyundai Sonata, Pacheco-Jimenez’s Mack truck and a Lincoln MKZ sedan.

The charges against Pacheco-Jimenez were the result of a Romeoville Police Department investigation.

Romeoville Police Sgt. Brian McClellan said Orosa was coming from his residence in Joliet and he was being taken to his place of work in Bolingbrook at the time of the crash.

Pacheco-Jimenez was driving south on Route 53, attempted to switch lanes and sideswiped a Lincoln MKZ sedan, then overcorrected and went into the northbound traffic and collided with Jabali’s Hyundai Sonata, according to McClellan.

Jabali and Orosa were pronounced dead at 5:22 p.m. on June 10, 2022, at the intersection of Route 53 and University Parkway, near the Lewis University campus.

Pacheco-Jimenez’s bond was set at $100,000. He was able to post 10% of that amount for his release from jail on Friday.