ALLEN PARK, Mich. – A man was arrested Thursday, May 16, after reportedly taking an Allen Park fire EMS rig for a joyride.
No injuries were reported, but the EMS rig did suffer damage.
Firefighter paramedics for the department had just transported a patient to Corwell Dearborn and were inside attending when a different patient leaving the facility saw the EMS rig and decided to make it his wheels to get home. An EMS rig doesn’t operate the same way as a normal vehicle and the patient couldn’t navigate it well enough to get off the premises. He reportedly made a wrong turn and instead of hitting the road, he struck the parking structure.
The fire department runs two Advanced life support rigs. While one is out of service, they fortunately have a spare to continue servicing the city.
The alleged EMS thief is being checked out for possible mental illness ahead of potential charges.