After leading police on a nearly two-hour chase Monday, a man who allegedly stole an ambulance from a Chicago fire station and drove it on a journey of more than 70 miles is in custody.
According to Chicago police, the vehicle was stolen from the front of a fire station in the city’s Chinatown neighborhood, just off of West Cermak.
The man allegedly took the ambulance on ride of more than 70 miles before being taken into custody in a dramatic foot pursuit that lasted nearly two hours and shut down both sides of Interstate 55 in Livingston County.
Security footage from a nearby business shows the ambulance parked outside of the building, and in the very next frame the ambulance is gone, off on a ride that would take it more than 75 miles and into Livingston County.
All the while, Illinois State Police remained in pursuit of the vehicle before it blew a tire and ultimately was stopped just short of exit 217 in Dwight.
The suspect was then detained after a brief foot pursuit, according to authorities.
Traffic was shut down in both directions as a result of the incident, according to Total Traffic.
Local
Back in Chicago, residents who live in the neighborhood where the ambulance was stolen expressed bewilderment at the wild scene.
“That’s pretty crazy,” Nicholas Galvan told NBC 5. “It makes you wonder what the thought process was behind that. What is the goal, you know?”
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Other neighbors say they hope that the theft doesn’t cause any public safety issues.
“I don’t know what there is in an ambulance that’s so valuable,” Sydney Wieczorek said. “Someone might need a ride from that and now that ride isn’t there for them.”
No injuries were reported during the pursuit. An investigation remains underway, and no charges have yet been filed in the case.
