
(Chicago, IL) – There are still so many people disgusted with what happened two decades later. Back in 2004, as the band’s tour bus drove over a bridge in Downtown Chicago, a nightmare became reality for the passengers on a tour boat in the river below. 800 pounds of human waste came pouring down on them.
The boat was on a 1:00pm tour when most of the 120 passengers were doused in bio-hazards. Some of those passengers included people with disabilities, seniors, a pregnant woman and small children. Passengers were all given refunds and 5 were taken to the local hospital for evaluations.
Luckily, nobody has suffered any long-term health issues. The tour boat was even cleaned and back on the river the same day as the incident for the 3:00 pm tour, just two hours later. The bus driver, Stefan Wohl, pleaded guilty to reckless conduct and contamination in 2005. He was sentenced to 150 hours of community service and was also ordered to pay $10,000 to an environmental group. The band also donated $100,000 to local groups on top of a $200,000 settlement with the State of Illinois.
Matthews says that he will continue to apologize and agreed to keep a log when they empty their tour bus septic tanks. There is now also a plaque on the bridge commemorating the event.