A 48-year-old man was arrested this morning, Oct. 3, for allegedly stealing an ambulance from outside Mercy Jefferson Hospital in Crystal City and leading police on a chase that ended in south St. Louis. The Valle Ambulance District owned the stolen vehicle, police reported.
A St. Louis Police spokeswoman said an officer first saw the ambulance at about 9:30 a.m. near the intersection of Jefferson and Chouteau avenues after it was reported stolen by Crystal City Police.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and other local agencies had chased the ambulance on northbound I-55 until it entered St. Louis County. Other agencies continued the chase through St. Louis County and into St. Louis, Sheriff’s Office spokesman Grant Bissell said.
After St. Louis Police spotted the ambulance, officers turned on their emergency lights and sirens to stop the fleeing vehicle. The ambulance did not stop for the officers, and the driver allegedly intentionally struck a St. Louis Police vehicle, the report said.
The ambulance then hit a civilian’s vehicle in the 4500 block of South Broadway Street, and several officers exited their vehicles in an attempt to apprehend the driver. However, the man put the ambulance into reverse and struck another police vehicle before fleeing the area, according to the report.
St. Louis Police ended their pursuit after the accident on South Broadway Street, but the Missouri State Highway Patrol used spike strips and the ambulance was disabled at about 10 a.m. in the 7600 block of South Broadway Street near East Schirmer Street, the report said.
The man tried to run from the ambulance, but St. Louis Police officers used a stun gun to subdue the man and then took him into custody, according to the report.
The man was taken to an area hospital for evaluation following the arrest, St. Louis Police reported.