Police: Woman stole ambulance, caused crash

DEKALB COUNTY — A hospital patient is facing charges after police say she stole an ambulance, drove to the next city over and crashed it.

The wreck happened at the intersection of Memorial Drive and Hambrick Road Wednesday afternoon.

Nobody was hurt, but Channel 2’s Rikki Klaus spoke with witnesses who say this could have been a whole lot worse.

Police say that patient stole the ambulance from DeKalb Medical Center and took off.

A witness shared video with Channel 2 Action News of police taking the woman, still in her hospital gown, into custody.

Police say the suspect crashed into a Mercedes at the intersection in Stone Mountain, popping a wheel off the SUV.

Frightened bystanders ran into the Conch City Restaurant on the corner.

“We had the guests, they came running in from outside, and they said that there was somebody trying to shoot at the police, so of course everybody was taking cover,” the witness told Klaus.

Turns out that was not the case, but police say the suspect did get in a fight with them. We’re blurring her face, since we’re told she was transferred to a mental health facility.

“It was apparent there was something wrong with her,” the witness said.

In the video, you can see the woman on the ground, police handcuffing her.

Witnesses said she was laughing at the time.

A hospital official told Klaus Wednesday night the suspect stole the vehicle from the ambulance bay, parked right outside the emergency room.

Conch City owner Lateshia Williams still has a lot of questions.

“How did that happen that she was able to get the keys to the ambulance, drive it this far, run into some cars? Somebody could have gotten hurt, but we’re just glad that everybody is safe. It was very bizarre,” Williams said.

The woman is facing charges of theft by vehicle and obstruction. She was taken to a mental health facility. No one was hurt in the incident.

Cox Media Group