Ontario City Councillor Jim Bowman has been arrested on charges of hit-and-run and suspected drunk driving.
First responders were alerted to a two-vehicle crash near Euclid Avenue and Mission Boulevard at 5:05 p.m. Monday, Ontario Police Department Sgt. Melissa Ramirez said in a statement. statement Thursday. According to witnesses, a car left the scene.
The car that left the scene was driven by Bowman, who called 911 about a minute later near Locust Street and Laurel Avenue, about a mile from the crash, to request police assistance, police said.
An Ontario traffic investigator found Bowman “guilty” of the crash, Ramirez said, after which police arrested the councillor.
The Ontario police statement did not reveal Bowman’s blood alcohol level when he was arrested or whether police administered a field sobriety test.
Bowman and the other driver were transported to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment, where the other driver was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Bowman was released from custody at the hospital.
Bowman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ramirez said Bowman is under investigation for drunken driving and hit-and-run with injuries.
Ramirez said the case will be presented to the San Bernardino District Attorney’s Office for an independent review.
bowman era were chosen first to the Ontario City Council in 1986. Since then, he has served as Mayor of Ontario and has served on many regional boards and commissions, including the California-Nevada High-Speed Rail Commission, the San Bernardino Emergency Medical Services Commission, and the Ontario Housing Force.
He also worked for the Ontario Fire Authority for 16 years and retired as a fire chief.
