By Sarah Roebuck
EMS1/Police1
LAKE CITY, Fla. — A pursuit of a stolen ambulance came to an end after the suspect drove it right to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
The ambulance was stolen on Saturday night while a deputy was assisting EMS with a subject who was experiencing an altered mental state and possibly under the influence of drugs, the sheriff’s office said.
During the encounter, the man, identified as Stanley Williams, was able to gain access to the ambulance and drove away from the scene. The deputy pursued the stolen ambulance and relayed the information to other deputies, the sheriff’s office said.
During the pursuit, the ambulance struck a curb, causing some damage to a tire.
Williams drove the ambulance to the entrance of the sheriff’s office operations center. The ambulance came to a stop on the lawn right in front of the entrance. He was taken into custody without further incident.
“It’s not every day a pursuit ends at our front door,” said Sheriff Mark Hunter. “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.”
Williams was admitted to an area hospital for further evaluation. Charges are being filed for grand theft and fleeing and eluding, the sheriff’s office said.