A 40-year-old man who allegedly led police on a wild pursuit in a stolen flatbed truck in which he struck several vehicles had hours earlier tried to run over a man after carjacking him, authorities said while announcing 11 felony charges against him Thursday, April 3.
Adam James Bowen was charged with attempted murder, carjacking, four counts of assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of hit and run resulting in serious injury and one count each of fleeing a pursuing police officer’s vehicle, resisting arrest and grand theft in relation to the March 28 mayhem, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said.
On March 28, Bowen allegedly carjacked a tow truck operator and then attempted to run him over with the truck, authorities announced. Where that carjacking took place was not immediately specified by the DA’s office.
Hours later, Bowen was accused of stealing the flatbed truck and then leading police on a wild chase from Los Angeles, through Whittier and to Long Beach, where news helicopters spotted the driver hitting several vehicles in traffic while heading westbound on Seventh Street near the Cal State Long Beach campus and the VA hospital.
As he crossed Termino Avenue, he ran a red light and slammed into an SUV and a van, sending the flatbed truck into a parking lot before coming to rest in front of a Sherwin Williams paint store.
The suspect then casually got out of the truck and walked westbound along Seventh Street before turning northbound on Mira Mar Avenue. Los Angeles police eventually caught up with him, but it took several officers to take the suspect into custody as he fought back.
The police chase began near the 110 Freeway and Adams Street about 2:45 p.m. and continued on surface streets until Bowen got onto the southbound 605 Freeway, clipping several vehicles as he occasionally topped 100 mph. He wound his way through the streets of Whittier, crossing over medians and sideswiping other vehicles before continuing south into Long Beach.
One person was left seriously injured after being involved in a crash with the suspect, the DA’s office said.
If convicted as charged, Bowen faces a possible maximum sentence of life in state prison.