ROCKFORD, Mich. — A Rockford man faces a second-degree murder charge after police say he used his truck to intentionally hit the husband of the woman he was dating.
WATCH VIDEO HERE
Thomas Olman was originally charged with Assault with Intent to Do Great Bodily Harm Less Than Murder following the crash on December 11, 2025. But the Kent County Prosecutor's Office upped the charge to murder when the victim, John Joyce, died from his injuries months later.
Investigators say Olman intentionally hit Joyce with his vehicle on Gibraltar Drive near Glencarin Drive in Rockford, near Joyce's home.
The situation started over a dispute about the keys to the vehicle driven by Joyce's wife, according to court documents. Joyce told detectives he had taken the keys out of his wife's car when it was parked outside Olman's home, then had gone home.
Olman told police he drove Mrs. Joyce to the home so she could get her keys back.
The Joyces were in the process of getting a divorce, noted investigators, and Olman was dating the wife.
Joyce recalled his wife came up to the house, demanding the keys back, per court records. Joyce told his wife she didn't need them, saying Olman could drive her to work the next day. Knowing Olman was parked down the street, Joyce said he went out to give the keys to him instead.
As Joyce moved closer to the truck, he heard the engine rev, then speed up at him. Joyce told detectives Olman must have floored the accelerator based on how quickly the truck closed the distance between them.
Investigators established Joyce was hit by the truck, able to track the vehicle's path through the snow on the road. Other evidence included damage to the truck's passenger side headlight and hood, a broken mailbox, and video from a doorbell camera that captured audio of the impact.
Joyce told police he remembered flying and spinning through the air after the truck hit him, landing in a nearby driveway.
After the crash, police said Olman got out of the car and attacked Joyce. The victim claimed Olman yelled, "Why are you coming after me?" before punching him in the face and kicking his body.
Olman told detectives he did accelerate out of his parking spot, but that he was trying to get away from Joyce. He claimed Joyce jumped in front of his vehicle, according to court documents.
Olman said his girlfriend warned him Joyce was coming out of the house to meet him.
Joyce was taken to a hospital with a fractured pelvis, vertebrae, and ribs. His death on March 4, 2026 was ruled a homicide by the Kent County Medical Examiner.
Following his death, the prosecutor's office authorized the second-degree murder charge against Olman.
If convicted, he could be sentenced to life in prison.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
