Patient steals ambulance, then crashes it in extremely awkward spot, Florida cops say

A police chase involving a stolen ambulance — with the patient behind the wheel — took an even more odd turn when it literally crashed outside the front doors of a Florida sheriff’s office, investigators say.

It happened around 11:45 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, in Lake City, and no injuries were reported, according to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. Lake City is about 60 miles west of Jacksonville.

Medics were attempting to treat a man believed to be “under the influence of drugs” when he slipped into the driver’s seat of the ambulance and drove away, the sheriff’s office said.

A deputy was also at the scene and immediately gave chase, following the ambulance east for nearly 3 miles, maps show.

“At some point, the ambulance struck a curb, causing damage to a tire,” the sheriff’s office said.

“(The suspect) drove the ambulance into the entrance of the CCSO Operations Center on U.S.90 East. He drove across the front lawn before finally stopping near the front of the main entrance to the building.”

The 35-year-old man was arrested on the lawn “without further incident,” officials said.

“It’s not every day a pursuit ends at our front door,” Columbia County Sheriff Mark Hunter said.

“This just goes to show that we never know what we will encounter from one moment to the next. I’m glad nobody was hurt and the suspect was not able to pose a greater risk to our community.”

The suspect was take to a hospital for evaluation, officials said. Details of his condition have not been released.

“Charges are being filed and referred to the State Attorney’s Office for grand theft and fleeing and eluding,” the sheriff’s office said.

Damage to sheriff’s office property was minor and involved only the lawn, officials said.

This story was originally published December 12, 2023 at 7:54 AM with the headline "Patient steals ambulance, then crashes it in extremely awkward spot, Florida cops say."