A man is dead after stealing a Fort Worth Fire Department ambulance early Thursday and driving it nearly 200 miles to the Austin area, where Texas Department of Public Safety troopers shot him during a pursuit.
According to the Fort Worth Fire Department, the ambulance was taken from Fire Station 4 at 2954 Old Mansfield Road in Fort Worth. Multiple agencies searched for the vehicle. The Texas Department of Public Safety said troopers were notified around 6:30 a.m. that the stolen ambulance was traveling southbound on Interstate 35 in Williamson County.
Troopers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver refused. DPS said the driver then took the ambulance onto South U.S. 290, intentionally rammed multiple vehicles, and continued evading officers. Attempts at a PIT maneuver were unsuccessful. As the ambulance entered the upper deck of I-35 and continued ramming vehicles, a trooper fired shots. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
Austin-Travis County EMS responded around 7:10 a.m. and transported one adult bystander from a separate vehicle to a hospital with minor injuries. The upper deck of I-35 and portions of southbound I-35 were closed for several hours due to the incident.
The identity of the driver has not been released. Fort Worth Fire Department officials confirmed no firefighters or paramedics were injured or threatened during the theft. The local firefighters union has raised concerns about ambulance security, noting that many stations lack indoor space for the vehicles and that ambulances are often left outside, ready for response and with climate-controlled medical supplies running.
A city of Fort Worth spokesperson said officials are reviewing policies related to the security of emergency response vehicles and that a full investigation is underway to determine whether existing procedures were followed.
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