Caught on camera: Stolen ambulance sparks series of crashes during Virginia police chase - WATCH
By Sunita Iyer | First Published Aug 14, 2023, 2:59 PM ISTMaryland man steals ambulance, causes multiple hit-and-run crashes in Virginia, leading to pursuit and arrest in Washington DC; no serious injuries reported.
A man from Maryland stole an ambulance and caused a series of hit-and-run crashes in Virginia over the weekend, before being apprehended in Washington DC, as authorities have reported. According to Virginia state police, there were no reports of severe injuries resulting from the crashes that occurred on Saturday. The collisions took place on portions of Interstate 66, Interstate 395, and the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
The driver, identified as 30-year-old Darell T Caldwell from Brandywine, Maryland, faced charges from both federal and local law enforcement. State police charges were still pending, and Caldwell was undergoing evaluation at a hospital on Saturday evening.
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The chain of accidents started shortly after 3:30 pm, when state police responded to a two-vehicle crash on the eastbound lanes of I-66. Caldwell was recognized as the driver of one of the vehicles—a truck that had been reported as stolen in Virginia.
MUST SEE: This is an enhanced video of the crash just before the bridge plus some of the stolen ambulance chase into DC. From & . Media DM me if interested in video. pic.twitter.com/8KdrNRqjSw
— Dave Statter (@STATter911)MUST SEE: This is the start of I-395N rampage. Truck got on at 110N. Hit vehicles before Boundary Channel. Plowed into at least 5 before the bridge. Driver ran off. Will show you the stolen ambulance chase shortly. pic.twitter.com/dQyewlLcRW
— Dave Statter (@STATter911)Following the initial incident, the truck left the scene. Almost immediately afterward, another multi-vehicle crash occurred in the northbound lanes of I-395, caused by the same stolen truck. This collision resulted in five people being sent to the hospital.
After the second crash, Caldwell left the scene on foot. Minutes later, state police responded to another crash on the George Washington Parkway involving yet another truck that Caldwell was driving in the wrong direction, which collided with another car. The manner in which Caldwell acquired the second truck remains unclear. During this time, when an Arlington county ambulance was responding to the I-395 crash, Caldwell drove off in it while medics were tending to another driver.
A trooper, alerted to the theft of the ambulance, initiated a pursuit and caught up to the stolen emergency vehicle. At one point, the ambulance came to a stop in the road but then rammed the trooper's patrol car when the trooper was exiting. Both state and Arlington county police joined the pursuit of the ambulance, which eventually entered the I-395 express lanes and proceeded into Washington DC before colliding with a parked car.
STOLEN AMBULANCE — Here’s what happened according to :
- Crash on 395 by Exit 10.
- One driver, involved in crash, stole Arlington Co. ambulance
- VSP pursued ambulance, which struck “at least 10 vehicles.”
- Finally crashed at D St & 14th St SW. pic.twitter.com/gJH70DW9la
Following the collisions, Caldwell surrendered to authorities, as detailed in the news release.
One individual who experienced the impact firsthand was Hailey Ruggiero, who reported being rear-ended by the stolen ambulance near Reagan National Airport. She expressed surprise that neither the ambulance nor the pursuing officer had stopped after the collision. Ruggiero shared her relief at being alive and voiced hope for justice to be served for all those affected by the incident.
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