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Patient in ambulance stolen from Okla. hospital describes ordeal

Cherokee Cox said she called 911 from the back of the ambulance and looked for something to hit the suspect with

By Laura French

SHAWNEE, Okla. — A patient who was inside an ambulance when it was stolen from an Oklahoma hospital on Friday described the ordeal in a recent interview.

Cherokee Cox called for an ambulance after suffering an allergic reaction and difficulty breathing, according to KFOR. Upon arrival at the hospital, someone jumped in the driver’s seat of the rig and took off.

Cox said the EMT who was in the back of the ambulance with her fell out of the back doors and she was alone with the suspect. She said she looked around for something to hit the suspect with but couldn’t find something and decided to call 911 on her cellphone.

Soon after her 911 call, police began to pursue the rig. Cox said the suspect told her he would pull over if she got the police to stop following them.

After about a 30-minute pursuit, police managed to stop the ambulance with stop sticks. The rig crashed into a stop sign and officers quickly brought Cox to safety.

“I’m grateful that I’m the one that was in there and not somebody who immediately needed attention,” Cox told KFOR. She also said she was grateful to the EMT who was with her before the pursuit.

The suspect’s name has not yet been released. He is facing charges of assault, battery of medical personnel and kidnapping, officials said.

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