A man in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, is accused of stealing an ambulance after emergency services responded to a call. The man allegedly led state police on a high-speed chase and was eventually stopped near a local convenience store.
As reported by CBS News Pittsburgh, the incident occurred on Wednesday, May 20. At the time, a local emergency medical services company had been dispatched to Industry Borough for a psychiatric call.
Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) detailed that 23-year-old Justin Corrie, as soon as medics arrived, ran past them. Then, he allegedly attempted to enter two vehicles until he set his sights on the responding ambulance.
Corrie would then lead troopers on a high-speed chase, police said. Allegedly, he would reach speeds of up to 93 miles per hour.
Dangerous Chase Ensues
Reportedly, the chase would extend from Industry Borough to Center Township. That’s around 9.7 miles, in a trip that would normally take a driver 19 minutes to complete.
As per the outlet, Corrie was driving recklessly, violating traffic laws, and also risking his and others’ lives. At first, however, he was speeding by himself, Medic Rescue’s Director of Operations Bill Pasquale told the outlet.
“There was nobody chasing him at this time,” he said. “And he was passing vehicles in dangerous areas, so we were very fortunate that nobody was hurt.”
Suspect Stopped, Arrested
Medic Rescue, thanks to its technology, managed to track the ambulance’s location and speed. The PSP received the said information and was able to locate Corrie.
A trooper, via an unspecified maneuver, managed to force the ambulance off the road, near a local GetGo. According to Pasquale, this was performed in such a way that no one was endangered.
Corrie was arrested, and no one involved in the chase or any civilians were injured. The ambulance, meanwhile, is currently out of service as it was damaged.
Charges Filed, Mental Health
Justin Corrie faces a variety of charges. These include attempting to elude police, theft of a motor vehicle, receiving stolen property, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, reckless driving, careless driving, and speeding, WTAE reported.
These charges could lead Corrie to face years behind bars. On the theft of a motor vehicle charge alone, he could be sentenced to up to seven years in prison. However, since he allegedly stole an ambulance beforehand, sentencing could potentially be more severe.
While Pasquale said that losing the ambulance is a “hit” and will be an expensive repair, he emphasized the importance of mental health. He said, “Patients are unpredictable, especially if there’s a mental health component to their issue at that time. You don’t know what somebody’s capable of.”