There are bad days, and then there are the sort of days Michael Bowers created for himself back in May – ones that end with blue lights in the rear-view mirror and a spell before the judge.
The 27-year-old from Southampton decided to take a red Citroën for more than just a test drive when he stole the car in Bristol on 11 May. What followed was a dangerous game of cat and mouse along the M4 and across the busy roads of Swindon.
Tracked by Avon and Somerset officers, Bowers headed east on the motorway before Wiltshire’s roads policing unit picked up the chase. At junction 16, PC Paul Davis joined the pursuit, only to see Bowers duck off the motorway at junction 15, swerving away from a stinger unit and gunning his way onto the A419.
What followed was a litany of risky manoeuvres: tailgating, undertaking, and hitting speeds close to 100mph. At one point, Bowers forced his way around two roundabouts in the wrong direction, sending oncoming traffic scrambling to avoid a crash. He ran red lights on the A420, careered past startled drivers, and only came to an unceremonious halt after clipping a kerb at a truck stop near Sainsbury’s.
Abandoning the still-moving car, he fled on foot before being found in a nearby ditch. His attempt at a getaway was over.
Bowers was later charged with dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking, driving without a licence, and without insurance. At Swindon Crown Court this week (29 July), he admitted the offences and was handed an eight-month prison term, suspended for 18 months. He was also disqualified from driving for 18 months and fined £187.
Reflecting on the incident, PC Davis said:
“Bowers put countless lives at risk, including his own. It’s a miracle no one was hurt. His reckless actions forced other motorists to take evasive action, and had anything unexpected happened, the consequences could have been devastating. I’m pleased he has now been sentenced and hope he takes the opportunity to reflect.”
For many, it’s a sobering reminder that the split-second decisions of one reckless driver can endanger so many more.
