OKLAHOMA CITY — A stolen ambulance has prompted an Oklahoma ambulance service to reconsider their policies to prevent future theft.
Pauls Valley Daily Democrat reported Dasha West, 38, stole the ambulance last week from outside of a hospital as EMTs were dropping off a patient in the emergency room.
West was seen driving the ambulance a few hours later and eventually led police on a high-speed chase. During her joyride, West put around 120 miles on the vehicle and briefly went off of the road, causing some damage.
EMS Director Matt Phillips said the department could face difficulties if a vehicle is stolen and requires extensive repairs or has to be replaced.
“The biggest challenge we are facing is timing, if this is something we can fix locally, can repair soon it’s OK,” hospital CEO Nathan Staggs said. “If the frame is bent, which is possible, and we have to replace the unit, there’s a nine-month wait to get a new unit. We need to be very proactive.”
The city manager urged the EMS department to look at their policy and consider changing it to prevent future theft. Phillips said the department does not currently have a policy in place.
“Bigger services have went to the standard policy of taking the key fobs, the button off the ambulance, locking the doors when they get out to leave it running,” Phillips said. “That’s the policy I’m working on, to lock it, but keep it running. Depending on the outcome of this, we’re going to have to find something to bridge that gap.”