A suspect took a Mobile Fire-Rescue ambulance on a joyride through Midtown Mobile on Friday morning, causing moderate-to-major damage to the vehicle, according to fire department officials.
Mobile Fire-Rescue Department Public Information Officer Steven Millhouse said the rescue unit was being taken to the city’s impound lot for further damage evaluation. ‘It could’ve been a lot worse,’ Millhouse said. ‘He could’ve flipped it or hit a building or something.’
How the joyride unfolded
According to the Mobile Police Department, a suspect who was being transported by Lifeguard Ambulance Service to Mobile Infirmary from a city police precinct jumped out of one rescue vehicle and into another before driving it away. No one else was in the ambulance at the time, police said.
In a statement, MPD wrote that the suspect had been questioned about an attempted burglary at a Subway restaurant on Springhill Avenue. Investigators determined the offense was a misdemeanor, and the suspect was being transported to the hospital by a private ambulance service.
Police said the suspect fled in the Mobile Fire-Rescue vehicle and officers gave chase. During the pursuit, MPD said officers fired at least one shot before the vehicle was stopped. The ambulance was brought to a halt near Emogene Street and William Street, where the suspect was taken into custody. The suspect was then transported to the hospital and will be guarded until he can be arrested and taken to jail, according to the department. The investigation is ongoing.