WISCONSIN RAPIDS – No one was injured after a 37-year-old man got into the driver’s seat of an ambulance carrying patients and engaged law enforcement officers on a more than 18-mile chase from Wisconsin Rapids to Pittsville, police said.
On Feb. 17, a Wisconsin Rapids Fire Department ambulance was parked in the 1400 block of 22nd Avenue South in Wisconsin Rapids while fire department personnel were providing medical care to a nearby patient, according to a Feb. 18 news release from the Wisconsin Rapids Police Department.
Two paramedics were in the ambulance securing the patient to a gurney when the 37-year-old man got into the driver’s seat. One paramedic got out of the ambulance and tried to stop the man, and another paramedic tried to stop the man from moving the ambulance but exited the ambulance when safety was compromised, according to the release.
The 37-year-old man then drove the ambulance from the scene with the patient still inside, according to the release.
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On February 17 at approximately 5:37 p.m., officers with the Wisconsin Rapids Police Department began an ambulance pursuit that ended approximately 18.2 miles near 8890 State 73/80 in Pittsville. The chase lasted about 40 minutes, according to the release.
As police followed the ambulance, they attempted to end the pursuit by deploying tire deflation devices, but were unsuccessful. As the chase entered Pittsville, the Wood County Sheriff’s Office attempted to deflate the tires but was also unsuccessful, according to the release.
Pittsville police eventually deployed a tire deflation device, which successfully disabled the front passenger side tire, according to the release. The man then drove the ambulance into a muddy field and became trapped. The man refused to exit the ambulance as ordered by the officer, according to the release.
Concerned about the patient in the back of the ambulance, Wisconsin Rapids police deployed a drone to observe the man at the scene before a coordinated team of officers and deputies approached the ambulance and took him into custody, the news release said.
The Wisconsin Rapids Police Department is seeking charges of disorderly conduct, lewd and lascivious conduct, operating a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent, obstructing emergency personnel, recklessly endangering safety, threatening law enforcement and driving while intoxicated third offense.
The Daily Tribune is not naming the 37-year-old suspect because charges had not been filed in Wood County Circuit Court as of the morning of Feb. 18.
Pittsville EMS transported the 37-year-old man and the patient to Aspirus Hospital in Wisconsin Rapids for evaluation and treatment. Neither person was injured in the crash, according to the release.
The ambulance was towed from the scene with minor damage.
The Port Edwards Police Department and Wisconsin State Patrol also assisted the Wisconsin Rapids Police Department, Wood County Sheriff’s Department and Pittsville Police Department.
Contact Caitlin: cshuda@usatodayco.com Or follow her on Twitter @caitlinshuda.
This article originally appeared in the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune: Man arrested after bringing Wisconsin Rapids ambulance patient inside
