A patient in New York City was arrested after stealing an ambulance from Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital and driving it on a 25-mile joyride, according to authorities.
The 47-year-old patient had been taken to the hospital for observation when he left the facility at around 5 a.m. on Thursday. The ambulance he had ridden in was left unlocked, unoccupied, and with the keys in the ignition. The man got in and drove off.
The ambulance was tracked by GPS heading north on Interstate 87, and state troopers spotted the vehicle near Tarrytown. When they attempted to stop the ambulance, the driver failed to comply and fled, leading the troopers on a chase.
The chase ended when troopers used a tire-spiking device on the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, causing the ambulance’s tires to deflate and come to a stop.
The man was arrested on charges including grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, unlawfully fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle, and driving while intoxicated. His attorney’s information was not immediately available.
According to a New York City police spokesperson, the ambulance was sitting outside the hospital unlocked, unoccupied, and with the keys in the ignition. The hospital declined to comment on the incident.
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