Stolen Texas ambulance involved in pursuit, fatal shooting

By Harriet Ramos
Fort Worth Star-Telegram

FORT WORTH, Texas — A suspect who rammed multiple vehicles in a stolen Fort Worth Fire Department ambulance on Interstate 35 in Austin early Thursday was fatally shot by a Texas DPS trooper, officials said.

The ambulance was stolen Wednesday night from Station 4, located at 2954 Old Mansfield Road, Fort Worth Fire Department spokesperson Craig Trojacek said in a statement.

| MORE: Fast & spurious: America keeps losing ambulances and the fix is cheap

“This is a developing story with multiple agencies involved,” the statement reads.

According to Department of Public Safety spokesperson Sgt. Jason Galaviz, DPS was notified about 6:30 a.m. that the ambulance was in Williamson County and headed south on I-35.

“When troopers activated their emergency lights, the driver refused to stop and began actively evading law enforcement,” Galaviz said at a news conference Thursday.

According to Galaviz, the suspect began intentionally ramming civilian vehicles. The troopers attempted a PIT maneuver to stop the ambulance, but were unsuccessful.

The stolen ambulance continued ramming into vehicles as it headed onto the upper deck of I-35. Galaviz said a DPS trooper then fired his service weapon at the suspect, who died at the scene.

Authorities have not publicly identified the suspect. Texas Rangers are investigating the officer-involved shooting, Galaviz said. DPS will release more details as they become available.

All southbound lanes of I-35 were closed Thursday morning near central Austin due to the “police activity,” according to Texas Department of Transportation officials.

Photos taken by KXAN-TV show the stolen Fort Worth EMS ambulance on an interstate bridge. The front of the vehicle has been damaged.

Fort Worth police said the investigation into the theft of the ambulance is ongoing.

Austin police said in a social media post about 7:40 a.m. that the upper deck of I-35 was expected to be closed for several hours, which included a large portion of the freeway from U.S. 183 into the downtown area.

About 1:45 p.m., police said that lanes are open for drivers to access the lower deck of I-35 from U.S. 183, but the upper deck remains closed.

This article, originally published on Aug. 13, has been updated with additional details.

Trending

Emergency Management

Survey finds public safety agencies face readiness gaps

A Lexipol survey of 915 public safety professionals finds staffing, training and major disruptions remain key preparedness challenges

September 14, 2026 12:06 PM

 · 

EMS1 Staff

9/11

How schools are teaching 9/11 to a generation born after the attacks

At least 40 states address 9/11 through education standards, laws or school observances, but what students learn about the attacks and their aftermath varies widely

September 13, 2026 08:00 AM

9/11

9/11 remains a defining event for Americans 25 years later

About half of U.S. adults rank the Sept. 11 attacks among the most important events of their lifetimes, while younger Americans are more likely to point to COVID-19

September 13, 2026 12:00 PM

Substance Use Disorders

N.M. firefighters respond to nearly 3,000 overdose calls as fentanyl crisis continues

Albuquerque Fire Rescue responded to nearly 3,000 overdoses in a year as crews increasingly rely on Narcan to revive patients amid New Mexico’s opioid crisis

September 14, 2026 06:15 AM

©2026 Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Visit star-telegram.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.