By Laura French
LA SALLE COUNTY, Texas — A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper was flown to the hospital after his unit was struck by a stolen ambulance Friday.
The Angel Care Ambulance Service rig was stolen in Webb County and then traveled into La Salle County where it was spotted by an Encinal police officer, according to the Encinal Police Department. The driver refused to stop for the officer and a pursuit ensued involving several agencies, officials said.
During the pursuit, the suspect avoided an attempt by law enforcement to stop the vehicle and then collided with a marked Texas Department of Public Safety trooper unit, authorities said. Encinal police wrote that the collision “appreared [sic] to be intentional.”
The ambulance came to a stop after the collision and the suspect was taken into custody. The trooper inside the unit and the suspect were both airlifted to the hospital for treatment.
“Local, County, State, and Federal agencies came together in the best, most effective way possible in this incident,” Encinal police officials wrote. “The Encinal Police Department sends our best wishes and prayers for The DPS Trooper involved.”