A man accused of carjacking a flatbed tow truck and leading police on a dangerous and destructive pursuit from Los Angeles to Long Beach, where he crashed into multiple vehicles and seriously injured another motorist, was scheduled to be arraigned Thursday on attempted murder and other charges.
Adam James Bowen, 40, was charged Wednesday with one count each of attempted murder and 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 of an automobile, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
He is set to be arraigned sometime Thursday in downtown Los Angeles.
Prosecutors said Bowen stole the vehicle from a tow truck operator last Friday then tried to run down the victim with the truck. When he was later spotted by police Friday afternoon near downtown Los Angeles, an erratic pursuit began that saw the suspect weave wildly through traffic on freeways and surface streets, striking multiple vehicles along the way.
The suspect hit speeds topping 100 mph during the pursuit. As he moved onto surface streets, he drove on shoulders and medians, side-swiping multiple vehicles as he drove at dangerously high speeds and flew through multiple red lights.
As he made his way into Long Beach, the driver became even more erratic, speeding wildly on a crowded thoroughfare, leaving multiple vehicles with minor damage. With traffic stopped at one intersection, the suspect plowed the work truck into the rear of at least three vehicles, then pushed his way through the wreckage to continue fleeing.
Despite a flat front tire, the suspect continued speeding, struggling to maintain control and striking more vehicles before ultimately smashing into an SUV and a van as he ran a red light in Long Beach. The force of the collision sent the work truck careening into a Sherwin Williams paint store parking lot, where the vehicle came to a stop against a concrete barrier near the front door.
The suspect then got out of the truck and began to casually walk away from the scene. He appeared to walk several blocks before Los Angeles police officers caught up with him and slammed him to the ground. Nearly a dozen officers converged on the scene and struggled to take the man into custody. At least one of the officers was injured during the struggle and was later taken from the scene in an ambulance.
The driver of the SUV that was violently struck by the suspect at the end of the pursuit was treated by Long Beach paramedics and taken to a hospital in unknown condition.
“This was an extremely reckless and brazen act that endangered the lives of other drivers and pedestrians that could have resulted in a far more tragic outcome,” District Attorney Hochman said in a statement. “A tow truck driver suffered major injuries as he tried to prevent it from being stolen. The level of callous disregard for public safety is unacceptable and we will vigorously pursue justice for all of the victims in this case.”
Bowen could face up to life in prison if convicted of all charges, according to the District Attorney’s Office.