By Laura French
HENRY COUNTY, Va. — A Virginia man is in custody after officials say he stole an ambulance and led police on a high-speed pursuit on Friday.
Henry County Sheriff Lane Perry said the suspect, Derrick Devon Martin, 50, had crashed a separate stolen vehicle earlier in the day and was injured and unconscious at the scene, leading him to be placed in a Henry County Public Safety ambulance for treatment, according to WSLS.
The man was administered naloxone and reportedly became combative after regaining consciousness, then managed to gain control of the rig, officials said.
Authorities pursued the stolen rig for nearly an hour, with the pursuit reaching speeds in excess of 80 miles per hour, according to the Martinsville Bulletin. WSLS reported that the rig was going as fast as 120 miles per hour. Officials also said the suspect drove the wrong way on the highway for some time, hit a Patrick County Sheriff’s vehicle, and tried to hit other members of law enforcement during the incident.
The pursuit came to an end when spike strips were deployed, causing the rig to crash in a field. The suspect reportedly fled on foot but was located by K9 units and taken into custody.
BTW 21 reported that the EMS crew was able to get out of the ambulance before the pursuit began, and Bassett Rescue Squad posted on Facebook that the Henry County crew was “safe and uninjured” after the incident.
The Henry County Sheriff’s Office, Patrick County Sheriff’s Office and Virginia State Police all assisted in the pursuit. Authorities said Martin will face multiple felony and misdemeanor charges.