Ontario City Council member Jim Bowman has been arrested for an alleged hit-and-run and suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
On Monday at 5:05 p.m., emergency services received a call about a traffic accident involving two vehicles near Euclid Avenue and Mission Boulevard, Sgt. Melissa Ramirez of the Ontario Police Department said in a statement Thursday. Witnesses said one vehicle had left the scene of the crash.
Police said the vehicle 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.
An Ontario traffic investigator determined Bowman was “at fault” for the crash, after which police arrested the council member, Ramirez said.
The Ontario police statement did not reveal Bowman's blood alcohol level at the time of his arrest or whether police had conducted a 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 respond to an immediate request for comment.
Ramirez said Bowman remains under investigation for driving under the influence of alcohol and causing a hit-and-run crash with injuries.
The case will be presented to the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office for an independent review, Ramirez said.
Bowman was first elected to the Ontario City Council in 1986. Since then, he has served as Ontario's Mayor Pro Tem and has served on many regional boards and commissions, including the California-Nevada Super-Speed Rail Commission, the San Bernardino County Emergency Medical Care Commission, and the Ontario Housing Authority.
He also served 16 years with the Ontario Fire Department and retired as Fire Chief.
