Thief Steals Chicago Fire Department Ambulance at Firehouse, Apprehended on I-55 Near Dwight, Illinois

77-Mile Pursuit

Police following, then chasing stolen Chicago Fire Department Ambulance 66 from the City of Chicago to Dwight, Illinois YouTube Tips ⓘ

Chicago Police responded about 4:40 p.m. Monday, April 25, 2022 when Chicago Fire Department Ambulance 66 was stolen while parked near the Chicago Firehouse for Engine 8, Truck 4, and Ambulance 66. The firehouse is located in Chinatown at 212 West Cermak Road. The ambulance was stolen by a male adult.

The offender entered southbound I-55 located nearby. Initially Chicago police officers followed the ambulance and offender but police lost sight of the ambulance. At one point the offender got off of I-55 at County Line Road and then got back on to southbound I-55.

The Illinois State Police were involved following the vehicle, but not chasing the ambulance, by about 5:13 p.m. Police emergency lights were not activated until the rear driver side tire blew minutes later.

Early during the chase, the offender began talking on an EMS fire dispatch channel that is used to dispatch north side ambulances in the City of Chicago, “EMS Main.”

For several miles there was only an Illinois State Police trooper in an unmarked vehicle following the offender. Soon other police SUVs joined in the pursuit. Hindsdale police and Burr Ridge police officers were among local police officers that assisted with the chase.

Stop sticks were deployed on I-55, and the left front tire became flat, in addition to the left rear tire, that completely disintegrated.

WGN

Both rear tires were gone by about 5:59 p.m. At one point, when a law enforcement was attempting to deploy stop sticks, the offender drove the ambulance at the law enforcement officer. The left rear wheel eventually became deformed, and the offender appeared to have trouble controlling the ambulance.

Around 6:20 p.m. it appeared that the driver was going to stop, but then he continued southbound about 50 MPH.

The right front tire was pierced by stop sticks at about 6:20 p.m., and the driver stopped about seven minutes later on southbound I-55, just south of ROute 17 near Dwight. He opened the driver’s door of the ambulance and initially appeared to be cooperating while showing his hands.

The offender stopped, and then climbed through a fence and ran across the grass median to the northbound lanes of I-55. At one point he tried to flag down the driver of a pickup truck hauling a trailer. When the driver of the pickup truck didn’t stop, the offender continued to run away. Troopers, two K-9 units, and Livingston County Sheriff’s deputies were able to apprehend him about 6:30 p.m. The initial police observation trip following the ambulance and eventual pursuit was a length of about 77 miles.

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Dwight Fire Department firefighters and paramedics were dispatched to the scene, the offender was transported to a nearby hospital in custody.

The incident is under investigation.

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