Drunk man steals tow truck, wreaks havoc at Old Faithful

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (KIFI) - A complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court of Wyoming says Alan Rawlings Bowling, 57, was unable to purchase beer at the Old Faithful Upper General Store on Saturday, August 10, around 4:40 PM, when his credit card was declined.

Bowling then left the general store, got into a Yellowstone Park Service Station tow truck without permission, and drove away.

Yellowstone Park Rangers got a report of a stolen vehicle at about 4:45, which Yellowstone Service Station employees were already following on the public side of Old Faithful.

The truck headed northbound out of Old Faithful before turning around and heading towards Old Faithful Lodge, then drove the wrong way on the one-way road before driving off the roadway and stopping near a post office and ranger station.

A U.S. Park Service Ranger, Chris Maggiora, says he arrived at the scene with his emergency lights activated and saw a Yellowstone Service Station employee running toward the stopped wrecker, while another man was running toward the trees to the south. The Yellowstone Service Station employee began to pursue the man but was ordered to stop by another U.S. Park Ranger, Ranger McQueen.

Rangers chased the suspect on foot through the trees, crossing lanes of traffic while the suspect continued to head south across Grand Loop Road. Rangers caught up with him behind the Xanterra Bus Barn.

Rangers detained the man at gunpoint, ordered the man to the ground, placed him in handcuffs, and asked the suspect who he was. Bowling responded "Nathan Patterson, undisclosed United States Marshal." A ranger asked him why he stole the tow truck. Bowling responded, "I needed that truck to get to the United States Marshal's Headquarters."

Bowling was escorted back to the patrol vehicle. Documents say rangers noted Bowling had an odor of alcohol that got worse the closer in proximity they came to him.

Bowling was initially transported to the jail in Mammoth, then was returned to a ranger station to have his identity confirmed by two Yellowstone Service Station employees as the person they saw driving the tow truck.

A ranger made clear the service station employees needed to be 100% sure the person they were about to identify was the person they saw driving the tow truck. Rangers transporting Bowling rolled the rear window down to provide a clear view of his face, and the Yellowstone Service Station employees said they were 100% sure Bowling was the man driving the tow truck.

After being re-transported to the Mammoth jail, Bowling refused to take field sobriety or blood tests, so rangers sought a warrant for his blood.

The rangers' follow-up investigation revealed the tow truck was marked 183 feet from the road after smashing through a government-owned fence.

Bowling faces nine charges. Penalties include up to $45,000 in fines and up to 4.5 years in jail.

He pled not guilty on Monday, August 12, in U.S. District Court.