Fleeing suspect gravely injured in crash
Man in stolen car, 19, may be paralyzed as a result of crash into pole

Riverside, Ca- A 19-year-old Riverside male suffered grave injuries in a collision with a telephone pole early Thursday morning after fleeing from police at a high rate of speed. A patrol officer noticed a vehicle moving suspiciously from an apartment complex shortly after 3 a.m., and discovered the car was an unreported stolen vehicle. When the officer activated his emergency lights for a traffic stop, the suspect fled at speeds up to 100 miles per hour. The suspect lost control, spun and crashed two minutes later in the Five Points intersection in La Sierra.

The officer originally noticed two vehicles – a white 1993 Honda Prelude and an older white pick-up truck – emerge suspiciously from an apartment complex near the intersection of Megginson Lane and Magnolia Avenue, and followed both vehicles north on Hole Avenue. The pickup turned right onto northbound Tyler Street; the Prelude continued on Hole. The officer attempted the traffic stop on the Prelude at 3:20 a.m. and the pursuit ensued. The driver lost control as he entered the Five Points intersection and spun, resulting in rear-end impact with the telephone pole at 3:22 a.m. The driver, who was the lone occupant, was ejected from the car and landed on the sidewalk some distance away. The driver, identified as Benjamin Raymond DOW, was transported by ambulance to Riverside Community Hospital. Dow faces charges of grand theft auto and evading a police officer. No other vehicles or injuries were involved in this crash.

Investigation revealed the Honda Prelude was stolen earlier from the 3800-block of Roosevelt Street, in Riverside’s Arlington area. The Major Accident Investigation Team responded to the scene. Riverside Police are seeking information about the white pick-up truck, last seen driven by a blonde white female. Anyone with information helpful to this investigation is urged to call Riverside Police Detective Ken Madsen at (951) 353-7989.