Man crashes in Houston's South Side after leading police on chase in stolen ambulance

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A man is in custody after leading police on a half-hour pursuit in a stolen ambulance before crashing on Houston's South Side.

Police say the ambulance was stolen around 6:30 p.m. from outside the emergency room at Ben Taub Hospital, where two paramedics had just dropped off a patient.

The Houston Fire Department, which owns the ambulance, said it was equipped with GPS tracking, which allowed police to locate it quickly.

Houston police say they began pursuing the ambulance in the University of Houston area. At one point, the ambulance was headed south, approaching the Beltway, before it started heading west.

Around 7 p.m., the suspect turned and began heading east on Holmes. SkyEye captured smoke billowing from a blown rear tire as police followed closely behind.

Police said the chase never reached speeds of more than about 40 miles per hour.

"At one point, he was using the lights and sirens on the ambulance to get through traffic," Lt. Larry Crowson said.

As the ambulance was crossing several railroad tracks near the Holmes and Almeda intersection, it lost control and went off road before getting stuck in mud between a tree and a power pole.

SkyEye video shows officers smashing the passenger window of the ambulance, which police said came after the suspect refused commands to exit.

"The suspect refused to get out still. Was trying to rev the engine to drive off, still at that point even though it was stuck in the mud," Crowson said.

Crowson said it was eventually a K-9 bite to the arm that subdued the suspect.

Eyewitness News crews spotted him being loaded into a different ambulance with a bandaged arm and bloody elbow.

Deputy Fire Chief Isaac Garcia said the suspect appeared to be wearing hospital attire, although he couldn't confirm if the man had been a patient at Ben Taub.

Garcia said it's unclear if the ambulance had been left running, but said it isn't against the rules to do so.

"They're supposed to be secured, and they're allowed to be running as long as it's secured," he said.

Houston police say the keys had been left in the vehicle, but that no patients were inside.

Police say they don't know why the man might have taken the ambulance.

"He seemed a little delirious, so he may be having some mental problems," Crowson said.

After being treated at the hospital, police say the suspect will be booked into the Harris County Jail.

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