Patient crashes ambulance into concrete wall at hospital

UPDATE: Tanya Thomas, 50, has been charged with Evading Arrest, Aggravated Assault, and Theft of Property Greater Than $250,000.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A woman stole an ambulance at Regional One and caused significant damage, according to the Crittenden EMS.

While the Crittenden EMS crew was inside Regional One, a patient allegedly walked out of the hospital and hijacked a Memphis Fire Department ambulance from the bay.

According to reports, the woman reversed and hit a large concrete block wall. She then drove towards a wall outside the trauma ICU area.

Church’s Chicken employee shot to death outside restaurant

After swerving to miss an armed security guard and the brick wall, she reportedly struck a Crittenden ambulance on the driver’s side, making the vehicle nonfunctional.

Reports say the woman escaped in the ambulance and was captured a short time later in the VA parking lot.

WREG reached out to Memphis Fire, they said no personnel were injured. The suspect reported no injuries and declined treatment.

This isn’t the only recent case of a stolen ambulance in the city. Last summer a man was arrested after police say he stole an ambulance outside of Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, then hit a construction worker and several cars.

In 2021, in a social media post viewed thousands of times, a man admitted on camera he stole a Memphis Fire ambulance after a hospital stay where he was treated for a gunshot wound.

In this most recent case, Lonnie Ford, owner of Wings on the Fly food truck, has a warning for everyone.

“I’m glad no one was hurt but it just shows you that even law enforcement, ambulance, no one is exempt from what can happen in this city. You always gotta keep your head on a swivel and be focused and be aware of your surroundings at all times.”

We also reached out to Memphis Fire to find out how many ambulances they now have in service, and how many they should have.

They told WREG that after Tuesday’s incident, there are currently 35 ambulances in service every day.

They added that they aim to have 35 ambulances available every day to “ensure optimal coverage and response times.” MFD units in reserve status fluctuate daily.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.