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Thief takes RI ambulance on 40-mile joyride

Police said Johnny Kimbrough was arrested for stealing the Providence Fire Department ambulance from outside of a hospital and driving it to Connecticut

By EMS1 Staff

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A suspect led police on a 40-mile chase in a stolen ambulance after taking it from a hospital.

WPRI reported that Johnny Kimbrough was arrested after stealing the Providence Fire Department ambulance from outside of Rhode Island Hospital and driving it into North Stonington, Connecticut, according to Providence Police Major David Lapatin.

According to a police report, Kimbrough was seen by a hospital employee driving the ambulance away after a fire department crew unloaded a patient.

Lapatin said the ambulance had been left running, and a fire captain returned to find the vehicle missing.

Kimbrough was pulled over by Connecticut State Police and taken into custody. He is expected to be arraigned in Connecticut before being sent back to Rhode Island.

Providence Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare said the department will change its policy on leaving ambulances running and unattended after the incident and will look into a permanent technological solution that will allow the ambulance to be locked while staying running.

“We will put a policy out that no rescue will be left unattended and running, period,” he said.

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