Twenty-eight-year-old Travis Ward is under arrest for joy riding in an ambulance Sunday morning, after he stole the Phoenix Fire Department vehicle from the scene of a house fire and blazed a path of property destruction, reports ABC 15.
Emergency response crews were busy putting out a fire in a house containing two people, according to Phoenix Fire Captain Troy Caskey, when Ward allegedly took advantage of the distraction and stole the vehicle for a destructive ride around town.
Ward reportedly drove through streets, alleys and a park and managed to hit several objects, from a street sign to a fence, before ultimately crashing into a house containing unsuspecting resident Tyler Healey, ABC 15 stated.
“I was sitting there playing video games,” Healey told ABC 15. “I saw the lights and everything caved in and then the white and red lights were flashing inside the house.”
Healey was reportedly not injured in the crash, despite having three feet of his house pushed in, and fortunately, no one in the initial house fire needed medical attention or transport to the hospital while Ward was busy with the ambulance.
Unfortunately, the ambulance was in need of rescue itself, and Caskey told The Arizona Republic that firefighters aren’t sure if the “wrecked” vehicle is repairable or headed for the junk yard.
Travis Ward was charged with theft of a means of transportation and felony criminal damage for his joy riding adventure, according to The Arizona Republic. He’s lucky he also didn’t get charged with driving under the influence - court documents state that Ward told police he was under the influence of methamphetamines and didn’t know why he was driving the ambulance.
Although Ward’s escapade isn’t as gutsy as stealing a police car after getting arrested for a DUI, his stunt will surely go down in the books for bonehead criminal moves.
Related Resources:
- Find a Phoenix DUI Attorney (FindLaw)
- Family Rescued from Home Fire; Ambulance Stolen (Fox 10)
- Drunk Driving: Elements of the Offense (FindLaw)
- Ask a question about DUI now (FindLaw Answers)
ShareThis
