Driver arrested in fatal 2020 hit-and-run

A Davisburg man was arrested on Tuesday, May 11, in connection with the hit-and-run death of a homeless man along Woodward Avenue in Birmingham last summer.

Wesley Earl Stamps, 40, was crossing Woodward Avenue shortly before 2 a.m. on August 8, 2020, when he was struck by a northbound vehicle. Police said Stamps was outside of the crosswalk when he was struck. Investigators said the driver stopped briefly, then fled the scene and Stamps died before receiving treatment.

With family in Southfield, Stamps chose to live on the streets and was well known as “Wes” and other nicknames among those in the downtown area, often receiving assistance from those working in the area. Police investigating his death were also familiar with Stamps' presence downtown.

Birmingham police investigators were able to determine the make, model and year of the vehicle involved in the crash from evidence at the scene and video footage, and then proceeded to sort through hundreds of similar vehicles. Collaborating with the South Oakland County Crash Investigations Team, police determined the suspect, Steven Fowlow, 52, owned a vehicle matching the description at the accident.

Investigators located the vehicle at Fowlow’s home, hidden in the rear of the property where he was attempting to repair the vehicle himself. When questioned about the damage, he told investigators he thought he had hit a deer.

Fowlow was arrested in connection with failure to stop at the scene of an accident resulting in death. He was arraigned before 48th District Court Magistrate Julie Nelson-Klein and held on $10,000 cash/surety/10-percent bond.