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Cretin Steals Ambulance With Medic in Back

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Habitual Criminal Quickly Caught

A MEMORIAL HOSPITAL EMS ambulance in Chattanooga, Tennessee, had just off-loaded a patient at Erlanger hospital and the driver moved the unit away from the loading zone to keep it cleared.  He then got into the back of the ambulance and started cleaning up and restocking from the last call.

It was then that a man, apparantly unaware of the medic's presence, hopped into the cab and began driving away.  The Chattanoogan continues the story:

(The medic) yelled for the man to stop, but he just accelerated faster. The victim was yelling at the ambulance-jacker and attempting to call out on his radio reporting the theft.

Although the victim was yelling for the suspect to stop, he refused at which time the victim reached through the window and pulled on the suspect to the point he stopped the ambulance.

The Chattanoogan

The man jumped from the ambulance and ran towards the Whitehall Building. A short time later he was located in a red Ford van parked in the Whitehall garage.

WRCB / Broome

John Edward Shanks, 29, was taken into custody by deputies with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and charged with auto theft over $100,000, kidnapping, reckless endangerment and burglary of an auto.

The police quickly learned that Shanks also had outstanding warrants from two other jurisdictions.

WTVC-TV has the video:

 

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Posted by on May 11, 2013 • Filed under: ambulances, crime, News • Tagged: , , , ,

Another Stolen Ambulance

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Located 20 Hours Later

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, POLICE located a stolen ambulance about ten blocks away from the hospital where it was taken while the crew was inside delivering a patient they had brought from Elmore County.

The Haynes Ambulance unit was one of four that were parked in the ambulance bay of the UAB Hospital at 8 pm when somebody, apparently picking at random, hopped in a drove off.

This photo of the stolen unit was posted by Haynes on their Facebook page

The ambulance was found Sunday afternoon about 20 hours after it had been taken.  It isn't yet known if any equipment or supplies have been taken.  Haynes officials are on their way to Birmingham this morning to inventory and check out the unit.

The Gadsden Times has the latest HERE.

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Posted by on April 22, 2013 • Filed under: ambulances, crime, EMS Topics • Tagged: , ,

Another Stolen Ambulance

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Indiana Druggie Causes Heavy Damage

AN ANDERSON, INDIANA, MAN was arrested this morning (Friday) after he stole an ambulance and crashed into five parked cars.

WTHR-TV

Around 4 am an Anderson Fire Department medic unit was treating a patient in an apartment building when Joseph Sandlin, 27, got into the idling ambulance and drove off.  His journey was shortened just outside the apartment complex when he crashed heavily into five parked cars.  All six vehicles were extensively damaged.

WISH-TV

WISH-TV reports:

Police officers found Sandlin sitting in the driver's seat. As he was being arrested, he told police he took hydrocodone and several other pills, including bath salts. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

The release said when officers asked him why he stole the ambulance, he said "he took it because he wanted to find a police car and wreck into it so that we would shoot him."

Sandlin was arrested and charged with theft of a motor vehicle, a Class C felony; operating while intoxicated/drugs, a Class A misdemeanor; leaving the scene of a property damage accident, a Class B misdemeanor; and operator never licensed, a Class C misdemeanor. He was also wanted on a warrant out of Anderson City Court for domestic battery.

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Posted by on March 29, 2013 • Filed under: ambulances, crime, EMS Topics, Vehicle Operation & Ambulances • Tagged: , , ,

Another Stolen Ambulance

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Unit Left Idling at ER Dock

A MEDSTAR AMBULANCE was stolen Monday morning from a St.Louis, Missouri, hospital while the crew was transferring a critically ill person in the emergency room.

MedStar website photo

The patient had been picked up in East St. Louis, Illinois, and taken to the Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis where the theft occurred around 3 am.

The ambulance was recoverd about three hours later back in East St. Louis where a patrol car found it abandoned.  There was no apparent damage to the unit and an initial look-through did not disclose anything missing.  A complete inventory is being taken this morning.

All of MedStar's ambulances have a lock-out feature that permits the driver to lock an idling unit and take the keys with them, but he failed to do so in this instance.  Further compounding the problem is that it was an older reserve unit that does not have the GPS signal device that their front-line ambulances have.

KSDK-TV has the video report on the incident from the MedStar headquarters:

 

East St. Louis police detectives say that they have a couple of suspects, but have not yet made an arrest.

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Posted by on March 18, 2013 • Filed under: ambulances, crime, current events, EMS Topics, Vehicle Operation & Ambulances, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Stolen Ambulance Update

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Thief Apprehended

LAST SATURDAY, MARCH 2, Firegeezer reported on a Western Berks Ambulance stolen the night before in Reading, Pennsylvania.  The ambulance crew had left the engine running on their unit while they were inside a high-rise apartment tending to a patient on the 15th floor.  When they returned with their patient, the ambulance was missing and another unit had to be called.

Shortly after, the police found the ambulance abandoned not far from the site of the crime.  At the time, they said that they had a good idea of who stole it.

Yesterday (Friday) the police arrested David Collado, 39, and charged him with stealing the ambulance. 

David Collado

WFMZ-TV tells us today:

Officers were (called shortly after the theft) to the 700 block of South 10th Street for a report of a stolen ambulance left abandoned with its lights on and engine running, police said.

Witnesses on the scene told officers they saw the driver of the stolen ambulance enter a home in the 600 block of South 10th Street, according to court documents. Officers went inside and found Collado, but they didn't have enough evidence at the time to arrest him.

During a subsequent interview with investigators, Collado said he was walking home from a barber shop when he felt an asthma attack coming on and stumbled his way toward the ambulance, according to court documents. Collado then admitted to getting inside the ambulance and driving it to his house, where he was able to treat himself for his medical condition.

Collado has been charged with theft by unlawful taking or disposition, receiving stolen property, unauthorized use of an automobile, and obstructing emergency services. He is currently being held in the Berks County Jail on $5,000 bail.

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Posted by on March 9, 2013 • Filed under: ambulances, crime, current events, Vehicle Operation & Ambulances • Tagged: , , ,

More Stolen Ambulances

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"It'll Never Happen Here…"

A WESTERN BERKS AMBULANCE was stolen Friday night in Reading, Pennslyvania.  The crew had left the unit with the engine running while they were inside a high-rise apartment building tending to a patient. 

The Reading Eagle continues:

When (the ambulance crew) came out of the building with the patient the ambulance was gone.

The crew called for a backup ambulance from Western Berks to take the person to the hospital. The backup ambulance was there within about 10 minutes, according to Berks County 9-1-1 dispatchers.

Police found the Western Berks ambulance abandoned at 10th and South streets a short time later.

A witness told police someone had jumped out of the ambulance and run into a nearby building, but police were still trying to determine late Friday who stole it.

Police said there was no damage to the stolen ambulance and nothing appeared to be missing.

file photo

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A GARY, INDIANA, POLICE DEPARTMENT AMBULANCE was stolen Friday afternoon resulting in a police chase and forced curbing.

The Times reports:

At 2:30 p.m., Gary Police Department medics responded to an emergency call at 555 Polk Street and left their ambulance in the parking lot with the motor running while treating the patient.  When the medics returned outside, they discovered the ambulance gone.

Soon after, they learned the ambulance was being driven by 59-year-old Ricky Warren, of Gary. He struck a vehicle on 11th Grant, then proceeded south on Grant Street before officers were able to curb the vehicle on Ridge Road, police said.

Warren then got his own ride to the hospital to be treated for "injuries" before taking another trip to the pokey.

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IN ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, A 19-yr.-old man is in custody after stealing an ambulance from the loading bay at the University of Michigan Hospital.

WXYZ-TV explains:

Police say another ambulance driver noticed the man driving away from the hospital in the stolen ambulance on Friday night at around 11:30 pm. That driver radioed police when he noticed the suspect was not in uniform.

Police were able to track the stolen ambulance. A Washtenaw County Sheriff's Deputy pulled it over at Huron River Drive and Campus Drive. That's near the entrance to Washtenaw Community College.

The man was taken into custody and turned over to University of Michigan Police. Officers say he was waiting to be seen in the hospital's emergency room when he took the ambulance.

The name of the ambulance company was not reported.

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Posted by on March 2, 2013 • Filed under: ambulances, crime, Vehicle Operation & Ambulances • Tagged: , ,

Another Stolen Ambulance

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Thief Caught During 5-Hour Joyride

A 19-YR.-OLD VAGRANT STOLE an ambulance in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Tuesday night and putted around the Pittsburgh-area county for several hours until a police officer spotted him standing next to the unit at a convenience store, taking a break.  It is believed, but not yet proven, that Jonathon David Miracle was also involved in two collisions during his spree.

EAPS Website photo

The Eastern Area PreHospital Services EMS unit was parked at the ambulance station in Swissvale when it was discovered to be missing at 9 pm.  A call went out immediately to the local police departments and then it was found around 2 am.  KDKA-TV reports:

Around 2 a.m. Wednesday, Rostraver Police spotted the ambulance along State Route 51 and saw 19-year-old Jonathan Miracle, who is homeless, standing next to the vehicle.  Police say they spotted Miracle next to the vehicle’s open door and was not wearing typical Emergency Medical Services clothing.

Miracle was charged with a felony count of receiving stolen property.

He will be charged separately in Swissvale for stealing the ambulance.  The Pittlsburgh Tribune-Review adds:

After being arrested, Miracle admitted to taking the ambulance, said Rostraver Police Chief Greg Reseter. Miracle told investigators he was trying to get back to the Chicago area, where he has family.

The ambulance was fully stocked with medications and supplies, including narcotics, but none of it appeared to have been disturbed, Reseter said.

State police also were investigating an accident that may have involved Miracle and the ambulance elsewhere in Westmoreland County. Rostraver police charged Miracle with receiving stolen property, and Swissvale police will charge him with stealing the ambulance. State police may file additional charges related to the accident, Reseter said.

Eastern Area PreHospital Services WEBSITE.

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Posted by on January 9, 2013 • Filed under: ambulances, crime, EMS Topics • Tagged: , ,

Another Stolen Ambulance

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The Crew Inside Heard the Backup Alarm Sounding

A BOULDER COUNTY, COLORADO, MAN was arrested this morning (Sunday) shortly after he stole an ambulance in Longmont because he was cold (and drunk…. ed.).  An AMR ambulance and a Longmont fire unit responded around 3 am for an 86-yr.-old woman who had fallen in her residence.  While the crews were inside tending to their patient, the ambulance crew heard the backup alarm sounding on their unit and ran outside where they could see the ambulance tooling down the road.

They immediately notified the police and a patrol located the ambulance around 3:20 am just six blocks away and being driven by Robert Elmar Taylor, 51.  During his arrest he told officers that he was cold.  Police say Taylor was unsteady on his feet, had bloodshot eyes and slurred speech. He also failed a field sobriety test. 

Taylor was arrested and charged with the theft of the ambulance and driving under the influence of alcohol.  No supplies were reported used or missing from the ambulance and there was no report of the vehicle being damaged.  Later investigation disclosed that Taylor had an outstanding arrest warrant for escaping from the Colorado Department of Corrections.  He is currently being held in the Boulder County jail.

The Longmont Times Call has the STORY.

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Posted by on January 6, 2013 • Filed under: ambulances, EMS Topics, Vehicle Operation & Ambulances • Tagged: , , ,

Another Stolen Ambulance

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Equal-Opportunity Thievery

A 26-YR.-OLD WOMAN STOLE a Houston (Texas) Fire Department ambulance Saturday night and took it for a drive before abandoning it.

According to a published report by KTRK-TV, the ambulance crew had just taken a patient into the ER when the woman hopped in a drove off.  Another ambulance that was crusing around looking for it, found the abandoned unit about 45 minutes later.

KTRK-TV

The woman was subsequently arrested and charged, but it has not yet been disclosed how she became suspect.  Police say that they believe she was under the influence of drugs at the time.  Apparently the ambulance was not damaged during the incident.

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Posted by on December 16, 2012 • Filed under: ambulances, crime, EMS Topics, Vehicle Operation & Ambulances • Tagged: ,

Another Stolen Ambulance

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Not on an Emergecy Call

AN EMSA AMBULANCE IN TULSA, Oklahoma, was stolen Saturday night but recovered 20 minutes later without anything missing or damaged.

KJRH-TV image

The ambulance was on a public standby at a special event at the River Spirit Casino.  It was parked and unattended when someone got inside somehow around 8 pm and drove it away.  It was found abandoned a little over 2 miles away in a residential neighborhood.

KJRH-TV filed this video report from the scene:

 

Police are looking at surveillance tapes from the casino and its event center in hopes of identifying the thief.

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Posted by on December 9, 2012 • Filed under: ambulances, crime, EMS Topics, Vehicle Operation & Ambulances, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Another Stolen Ambulance

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Driving-Challenged Thief Taken Into Custody

A CAREER CRIMINAL IN BRYAN, TEXAS, began a sequence of events Monday that ended up with him driving and crashing an ambulance that he stole during his attempted flight from police.

KBTX-TV

Coty Joe Lohse, 28, began his bad day by shoplifing an undisclosed item from a beauty supply store in Bryan and triggered the theft-alarm device.  From there his event-filled flight from justice began.  The College Station Police Department reported the subsequent actions in a press release:

Bryan Police Department advised that the suspect shoplifted from the Q Beauty at 506 N. Texas Avenue. As he fled the store, the suspect set off the theft detection system. It is unknown what was taken. The suspect then went to CARQUEST at 410 N. Texas Avenue and stole a CARQUEST delivery car from their parking lot that had the keys in it.

As the suspect was driving the stolen vehicle, he hit another vehicle at W. Villa Maria Road and Wellborn Road and fled the scene of the accident. A witness followed until the suspect was involved in a second crash at Jones Butler Road and Harvey Mitchell Parkway South.

College Station Fire Department arrived at Jones Butler Road and Harvey Mitchell Parkway South and began checking the drivers for injuries. Before officers arrived on scene, the suspect entered and stole the ambulance, driving toward Holleman Drive.

As the suspect was fleeing the area, he drove through the drive-thru of McDonald’s at George Bush Drive and Marion Pugh Drive, striking a concrete pillar resulting in a third crash. Officers searched the area and the ambulance was located at the intersection of Holleman Drive and Carolina Street. The suspect was then taken into custody without incident at that location. Non-incapacitating injuries were reported.

The Bryan-College Station Eagle adds:  Lohse has been arrested multiple times since 2010, including two times this month, once on a public intoxication charge and once on charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.

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Posted by on November 27, 2012 • Filed under: ambulances, EMS Topics, Vehicle Operation & Ambulances • Tagged: , , ,

Another Stolen Ambulance

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Quick Apprehension Thanks to Witnesses

A RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA, FIRE DEPARTMENT AMBULANCE was the target of a joyrider/thief Saturday night, but it turned out to be a very brief ride and not so joyous after all.

Rapid City FD photo

The medic unit and an engine company were on the scene of a medical emergency and inside a house tending to a patient when they heard the backup alarm sounding on the ambulance.  Looking out the window they saw the ambulance being driven off and they called for the police and a backup ambulance.

The ambulance was soon located parked in an alleyway about two blocks away and witnesses at that location were able to identify two people who were running away from the unit.  Mike Johnston, 26, of Rapid City was quickly arrested and charged with driving under the influence and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.  He is currently free on $300 bail.

The Rapid City Journal has the STORY.
Rapid City Fire Department WEBSITE.

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Posted by on October 23, 2012 • Filed under: ambulances, EMS Topics • Tagged: , ,

Another Stolen Ambulance

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This Time In San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR the thief who stole one of the fire department's ambulances Monday morning and then ditched it about a mile away.  The ambulance crew was inside a private dwelling tending to a patient around 2:15 am, but when they came outside they found the ambulance was gone.

It was soon located by the GPS signal but when police arrived there was nobody around.  Witnesses say that they saw a man running from the ambulance when it stopped.  It was apparent that the thief had rummaged through some of the cabinets, but they medics do not believe anything was missing.

The ambulance driver had left the keys in the ignition with the motor running when they went inside the house.  A Fire Department spokesman said that it is possible to lock the doors with the motor running, but SAFD policy does not require it.  Another ambulance was dispatched to transport the 84-yr.-old patient to the hospital but it is not believed that the delay affected the outcome of her ailment.

KSAT-TV  has the story and a video report HERE.

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Posted by on October 15, 2012 • Filed under: ambulances, EMS Topics, Vehicle Operation & Ambulances • Tagged: , ,

Another Stolen Ambulance

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In Chicagoland

A CICERO (Illinois) FIRE DEPARTMENT AMBULANCE was parked at the loading zone of the MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn Tuesday night when a man got into the cab around 11:15 pm and drove off.  A short while after the alert went out to the local police departments, the ambulance was spotted in Chicago about 10 miles from where it was stolen.

The officers "curbed" the ambulance and took the driver into custody without incident.  No further information has been released yet.

Chicago Tribune / WGN

The Chicago Tribune has the early STORY.

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Posted by on October 10, 2012 • Filed under: ambulances, crime, EMS Topics • Tagged: ,

Another Stolen Ambulance

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Set Up by Hoax Call

A DALLAS, TEXAS, AMBULANCE was stolen Sunday night while the medics were looking for a reported victim who didn't exist.  They were dispatched around 11 pm to an apartment development, but when they arrived there was no victim to be found.

KDFW-TV reports:

The paramedics left the ambulance parked with the ignition on while they searched for any potential victims. While they were looking, Dallas police say a man on crutches got into the unlocked ambulance and drove away.

"Not our crutches…"  (KDFW-TV photo)

The paramedics immediately called police and got them to start following the ambulance using its GPS-based automatic vehicle tracking system.

A squad car followed the vehicle until it stopped in the 1800 block of Alaska Ave in south Dallas, about 12 miles away. As the man parked the ambulance, officers swooped [sic] in and arrested him.

Inside the ambulance they found a pair of crutches that are not part of the ambulance inventory, and a backpack.  The thief, identified as Alvin Clayton, told them that he needed a ride to visit his grandmother.

The Dallas Morning News has MORE.

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Posted by on August 27, 2012 • Filed under: ambulances, crime, EMS Topics • Tagged: , , ,

Another Stolen Ambulance

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Thief Gets Quick Justice

WHILE TWO PARAMEDICS IN GRAZ, AUSTRIA, were lifting the cot carrying their patient into the rear of their ambulance, it suddenly drove off leaving them standing there.

The ambulance was parked and running outside a house where the medics were working on an epileptic when, according to witnesses, two men got into the cab a moment before the ambulance crew brought the patient out of the house.  The Austrian Times tells us:

Emergency services coordinator Peter Hoppenberger said: "All our vehicles are set up with GPS signaling so we can track the ambulances movements. We spoke with the men via the speaker system as they drove off.

A short while later the thieves parked the car on the side of the road and fled on foot.

When one of the men arrived home, he got into a big fight with his father. The son was seriously injured and emergency services were called. He was taken to hospital in the same ambulance he had stolen only a few hours earlier.

The police quickly sorted out who was who and arrested the two who now face multiple charges of theft, damage of property, assault as well as drunk driving.

Typical Graz ambulances  (photo by Ernsti)

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Posted by on August 22, 2012 • Filed under: ambulances, EMS Topics • Tagged: ,

Another Stolen Ambulance

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This Time in Newfoundland

A 56-YR.-OLD MAN IN ST. JOHN'S, Newfoundland, is in the pokey this morning after stealing an ambulance while the crew was inside a house tending to a patient.  The loser is also being charged with "driving while impaired" following his adventure that began at 7:30 pm Wednesday evening.

The ambulance was found and recovered along with the joyrider within a short time.

CBC News has the STORY.

UPDATE:  The man has had his preliminary hearing this morning and The Telegram is reporting:

A man who reportedly took an ambulance on a joy ride Wednesday night has been released from custody on conditions he abstain from alcohol and not drive.  Donald Walker Baker, 56, of an unknown address, appeared in provincial court in St. John's this morning.

He's charged with impaired driving, failing the breathalyzer and joyriding (taking a vehicle without permission).

Lawyers agreed to have Baker released from jail with the condition that he abstain from alcohol. He was also ordered not to drive.  He's due back in court Sept. 19.

St. John NL Ambulance WEBSITE.

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Posted by on August 16, 2012 • Filed under: ambulances, crime, EMS Topics • Tagged: , ,

Another Stolen Ambulance

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Thief  "Caught on Tape"

A MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, AMBULANCE WAS STOLEN Wednesday afternoon while the crew was tending to a patient inside a government building in Norristown.  But the thief doesn't know about things like surveillance cameras and dashcams, so he was unwittingly documenting his entire escapade.

Do you know this dimwitted dirtbag?

The Plymouth Ambulance unit was dispatched to a county welfare department office for a woman having seizures around 4:30 pm and while they were inside with their patient the thief jumped into the cab and took the ambulance for a joyride through traffic with the lights and siren activated, blowing redlights and narrowly missing oncoming cars and cross traffic.

WPVI-TV Ch. 6 Philadelphia shows portions of the surveillance tapes in this video report:

 

About an hour after the episode began, police found the ambulance abandoned in an apartment complex, apparently intact and without any immediately discernable damage.  But as you can see, they have a good description of their suspect.

Read the full account of the incident from WPVI-TV website HERE.

 Plymouth Community Ambulance WEBSITE.

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Posted by on July 26, 2012 • Filed under: ambulances, crime, EMS Topics, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Another Stolen Ambulance

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Unattended With the Keys in the Ignition

A HOSPITAL PATIENT THAT HAD BEEN brought to a Savannah, Georgia, hospital for a mental evaluation proved their suspicions Friday night when he ran out and stole an ambulance that was parked in the loading bay around 7 pm.  The unnamed patient first struggled with an off-duty deputy and tried to grab his gun.  Failing that, he ran out the door where he found a Southside Fire-EMS unit parked with the keys in the ignition.

He started up the ambulance and took off with several police units quickly converging to the scene and taking up the ensuing low-speed chase.  WSAV-TV reported:

Savannah-Chatham Metro Police, the Georgia State Patrol, and other agencies followed the vehicle through Savannah, Garden City and Port Wentworth. Police deployed stop sticks, which deflated some of the tires but did not cause the vehicle to stop.

GSP units were finally able to box in the ambulance on Montgomery Street at Staley Avenue.

WSAV-TV

The man was taken into custody and will be taken back to the hospital for evaluation. The driver's name has not been released, and no word on what, if any, charges could be filed.

Police said some patrol cars were damaged but no one was hurt. Several agencies cooperated to ensure public safety was the top priority.

WSAV-TV also filed this video report:

 

The Savannah Morning News has MORE.

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Next Event – Irving, Texas, Saturday June 16

CLICK HERE for details

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Posted by on June 9, 2012 • Filed under: ambulances, EMS Topics, Vehicle Operation & Ambulances, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Another Stolen Ambulance

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Unattended in the Big City

A 30-YR.-OLD CHICAGO WOMAN IS UNDER ARREST this morning following a brief, drunken joyride last night with a Chicago Fire Dept. ambulance.  The vehicle, Ambulance 14 was parked in the emergency room parking area of the St. Bernard Hospital on W. 64th St. when Cassie Weathersby hopped behind the wheel and sped off.

She traveled about a mile before she crashed into two parked cars and took all the joy out of her ride.  She was apprehended immediately  and has been charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, driving with a suspended license, and driving under the influence of alcohol.  She is scheduled for a court appearance today.

Sun-Times News Service has the STORY.

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Posted by on May 28, 2012 • Filed under: ambulances, crime, EMS Topics • Tagged: , ,

Another Stolen Ambulance

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Party Doll's Weekend Comes to Quick Conclusion

ANOTHER RURAL/METRO AMBULANCE was stolen Sunday morning in the Buffalo suburb of Amherst, New York.  It all began around 6:30 am when a policeman brought Heather Sullivan, 37 and drunk, into the emergency room of the ECMC hospital.  Once she was left unattended, she dashed out the ER entrance where she found the ambulance, also unattended and with  the keys in the ignition.  WGRZ-TV continues the tale:

She started heading east down Kensington Ave. with police in pursuit. Once she reached the first traffic circle, she lost control of the ambulance and went straight through the circle and continued towards the Walgreens. She slammed into a brick wall surrounding the parking lot, slowing her down before the ambulance came to a rest.

WIVB-TV

"Thank God she missed the building though. The brick wall stopped her, otherwise, she would have been definitely into the building," said Amherst Police Senior Investigator Scott Lawida.

The ambulance was heavily damaged due to the impact of the brick wall.

The woman has been arrested and charged with reckless endangerment, grand larceny, criminal possession of a stolen vehicle and other charges.

A Rural/Metro spokesman says that the ambulance will probably be a total loss with damages estimated at $80,000 to $100,000.  The police said that she was driving at an extremely high rate of speed.

WGRZ-TV filed this video report:

 

The Buffalo News has the STORY.
WIVB-TV has MORE.

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Posted by on May 21, 2012 • Filed under: ambulances, crime, EMS Topics, Vehicle Operation & Ambulances, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Man Steals Ambulance, Uses it For Taxi Work

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Called It Working "Side Jobs"

A 24-YR.-OLD MAN IN IZHEVSK, RUSSIA, stole an ambulance that was sitting unattended and drove it around for two days before he was caught.

Typical Russian Ambulance (Flickr photo by Barry)

The ambulance was at a repair shop and had been fixed, then left parked outside with the keys in the ignition.  RIA Novosti news agency reports:

The car theft took place on Monday, but was not discovered until Wednesday, when the medics were due to pick up their vehicle, the report said.  The car turned turned up in a nearby yard, where police staked out to apprehend the driver, who was caught with the car keys on him, the report said.

The man faces up to five years in prison over the incident. It remained unclear what prompted the theft, but the vehicle added 540 kilometers to the odometer, and the man’s cellphone had outgoing messages saying: “Doing side jobs with the ambulance.”

The "side jobs" refers to a common, yet illegal, practice in Russia where ambulances will collect taxi passengers and by using their redlights and sirens, they get the riders swiftly to their destinations when there are heavy traffic jams.

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Posted by on May 18, 2012 • Filed under: ambulances, EMS Topics • Tagged: ,

Another Stolen Ambulance

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Left it Running…

AN AMBULANCE IN FORT WORTH, TEXAS, was stolen from the loading area of the Harris Methodist Hospital at 5 am Tuesday morning and taken for a brief joyride before being returned.

Medic-in-Training  (Fort Worth PD photo)

Police say that Michael Jefferson, 29, found the unattended ambulance from an unidentified agency with the engine running and decided to take it for a drive.  As Jefferson was tooling around town a police officer saw him drive through two red lights (without the amb. lights on) and started following it.  After a few blocks the officer lost sight of the ambulance so he returned to the hospital where he found Jefferson leaving the unit off at the valet parking lot.

NBC News ran this video report:

 

View more videos at: http://nbcdfw.com.

 

Jefferson is now in the clink under a $50,000 bond.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram has the STORY.

Hat tip to Mark M.

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Posted by on March 15, 2012 • Filed under: ambulances, EMS Topics, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Another Stolen Ambulance

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They Keep Leaving 'em Running

A THIEF WITH BAD INTENTIONS STOLE AN AMBULANCE in San Antonio, Texas, early Friday morning and took it home to strip the contents.

Stripped ambulance as it was found  (KENS-TV)

The Americana Ambulance crew had just unloaded a patient at a nursing home around 3:20 am and when they came back outside they found the ambulance gone.  San Antonio police and University Hospital police immediately began searching for it aided by the GPS coordinates that the ambulance company was getting from the vehicle's transmitter.

A short time later they found the ambulance in an apartment development parking lot and a 37-year-old man standing in front of it.  The ambulance had been almost completely emptied out, so they looked in his apartment and found the stolen equipment and supplies.

Jose Arenas

Jose Arenas was charged with felony vehicle theft and taken to the hoosegow.

KENS-TV Ch. 5 filed this video report:

 

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Posted by on March 9, 2012 • Filed under: ambulances, crime, EMS Topics, Vehicle Operation & Ambulances, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Another Stolen Ambulance

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When Will These People Ever Learn?

AN AMR AMBULANCE WAS STOLEN FRIDAY AFTERNOON from the loading zone of a Springfield, Massachusetts, hospital.  According to Springfield Police, Dmitry Kochev, 25, got into the unattended ambulance that was reportedly left runing and drove off.  He only traveled a quarter-mile before he lost control of the ambulance and crashed into a snow bank.

WGGB-TV

Kochev then got out and fled on foot.  The theft was reported immediately and police units were already heading to the area when one of them spotted Kochev a few blocks away.  The Mercy Medical Center's surveillance tapes show Kochev getting into the ambulance and driving away.  He has been charged with larceny of a motor vehicle and leaving the scene of a property damage accident.

The Republican has the details in their STORY HERE.

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Posted by on March 3, 2012 • Filed under: ambulances, EMS Topics • Tagged: , ,