An apparently intoxicated man stole an ambulance from EMTs who were attending him and fled down the highway, hitting four cars and injuring several drivers.
The San Antonio Fire Department dispatched an EMS unit to Goliad Road near Interstate 37 around 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 28. The EMTs found a man who appeared to be intoxicated and was having trouble breathing, EMS World reported.
According to San Antonio Police spokesman Officer Doug Greene, the man was uncooperative and behaving erratically.
Suddenly, the man broke free from the medics, sprinted to the ambulance, and drove away.
“You see that in the movies. ‘Oh, they took off in an ambulance. Oh, they took off in a police cruiser.’ You never think you’re going to actually witness that or the aftermath of it,” witness Diana Gallego told KSAT.
Fled on the Highway, Then on Foot
The suspect, later identified as 33-year-old Alfred Trevino, drove onto the nearby freeway and headed north. He cut off a vehicle full of Park Police officers leaving a training academy, Fox News reported. The Park Police followed the erratically driven vehicle when they learned it had been stolen.
Trevino headed onto I-10 West and drove about five miles before crashing at Loop 410. As he tried to change lanes to make the turn Trevino slammed into four other cars, causing one to roll over.
After Trevino crashed, he attempted to flee on foot, but was swiftly apprehended.
“We had officers start chasing this individual on foot. They were able to get him in handcuffs with a brief struggle,” Officer Greene told Fox.
Those charges include theft, intoxication assault, possession of a controlled substance, and evading arrest. More charges could be added as the investigation continues, Officer Greene told EMS World.
Alfred Trevino was taken to the hospital under police supervision.
According to Fox News, the driver of the car which rolled over was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
“We’re thankful that no one was seriously injured, which could have been the case,” Officer Greene told KSAT.
The accidents Trevino caused shut down the ramp onto Loop 410 and snarled traffic for several hours.
