A Utah police officer let a driver go after they fell asleep during a traffic stop. They crashed 6 minutes later [Body cam]
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It was just after 1 p.m. on a quiet stretch of State Route 191 in southeastern Utah. A sheriff’s sergeant pulled over a white SUV for blazing down the highway at over 100 mph. The driver, 39-year-old Michael Steven Bowman of New Mexico, handed over his license. But in the middle of the stop, something strange happened: Bowman nodded off.
Sergeant Chaz Black with the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office wrote in his report that he tapped the driver awake. He asked if Bowman had been drinking and leaned in close to check for any odor of alcohol.
Bowman denied it, and Black said he didn’t smell anything suspicious. There were no slurred words, no trouble finding documents, and no open containers in sight. So Black issued a citation for speeding and let Bowman continue on his way.
At 1:24 p.m., Bowman drove off. By 1:30, the driver crashed.
According to the Utah Highway Patrol, Bowman passed a semi-truck on the shoulder at high speed near mile marker 74, just outside Monticello, then lost control. The SUV slammed into two other vehicles, causing a three-car crash. The wreck sent Bowman and another man to the hospital, KSL-TV shared.
Court documents show that during the crash response, an EMT said Bowman appeared extremely intoxicated. A UHP trooper later confirmed that the driver smelled of alcohol and blew a blood alcohol level of .154. That’s nearly three times Utah’s legal limit.
Body and dash cam footage from the stop show no clear signs of impairment. A retired deputy police chief who reviewed the footage said Bowman did not appear obviously drunk but questioned why more wasn’t done when the man fell asleep during the stop.
The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office redacted most of Bowman’s face in the body cam video. KSL-TV appealed, arguing the redaction violated Utah’s public records laws, but the county denied the request. A brief unredacted clip offered a glimpse of Bowman, which the station published.
The sheriff has not said whether Sergeant Black faced discipline. Sheriff Lehi Lacy declined an interview, citing the ongoing case.
Bowman, now 40, was later charged with DUI, negligent driving causing injury, and threatening a trooper. After posting bail, he failed to appear in court in both March and April. Authorities issued a warrant for the driver’s arrest.
