Police got the call around 9:00 a.m. that the ambulance was stolen along the 5900 block of North Broad Street. The crime happened at a kidney dialysis center, located across the street from the Philadelphia Police Department's 35th District offices.
Officers tracked the ambulance through its onboard GPS and followed it onto the Schuylkill Expressway heading west toward City Avenue.
Pennsylvania State Police put down a spike strip on the highway and the ambulance ran over them.
In the video captured by PennDOT traffic cameras, you can see the police cruisers chase the ambulance onto the bottom left of the screen. Then the shot changes to show a trooper toss a spike strip just in front of the speeding ambulance as it approaches. Finally, the shot changes again to show the ambulance pulling off the busy Schuylkill Expressway.
Police with guns drawn, approached the ambulance and surrounded the suspect, then arrested him.
Sgt. Shawn Toboz Pa. State Police said, "We believe that [the suspect] had mental health issues. It is our belief that he was not under the influence of narcotics."
He was taken by State Police to the Belmont barracks where he is being charged theft. Other charges are pending. The suspect was not armed and fortunately, there were no injuries.