By William Lee
Chicago Tribune
CICERO, Ill. — Officials on Friday said a man being escorted out of Loretto Hospital in the Austin neighborhood stole an idle Cicero ambulance, leading Chicago police on a rush hour pursuit that ended in a crash.
Security led the unidentified man out of the hospital at 645 S. Central Avenue around 4 p.m., when the man jumped into the driver’s seat and fled with a Cicero paramedic still inside, according to a statement from Cicero police.
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The paramedic inside leapt from the ambulance about two blocks away, while another paramedic who was with the ambulance quickly dialed 911, officials said.
Several Chicago police vehicles trailed the ambulance for several blocks. In a statement Friday night, Chicago police said an officer discharged their firearm in the direction of the offender during the incident, but that no one was struck by gunfire.
The pursuit ended with the ambulance striking multiple vehicles and a marked CPD vehicle near the intersection of Cicero and Chicago avenues, police said. WMAQ-TV captured the pursuit and showed a large number of officers tackling the driver, who had run from the driver’s seat.
The alleged thief was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition.
Three police officers were taken to area hospitals and treated for various injuries, while four victims were also taken to area hospitals for minor injuries from the collisions.
The Civilian Office for Police Accountability, the police watchdog agency, said they were investigating the case because gunshots were fired.
Cicero officials said they did not yet have possession of the ambulance, as it is part of a crime scene being processed by Chicago police.
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