In a bizarre incident on Tuesday, a man recently discharged from a hospital in Westchester County, New York, commandeered an ambulance and led law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit through several towns. The man, identified as 41-year-old Ernest Burkett, had just been discharged from the emergency room at Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital when he seized control of an Empress Ambulance around 3 a.m. and sped off.
Local police in New Rochelle quickly spotted the stolen vehicle and initiated a pursuit. The chase took a dramatic turn as it entered Eastchester, where local and Scarsdale police attempted to intercept the stolen ambulance. The police department reported that the vehicle collided with police cars from both Eastchester and Scarsdale during the pursuit.
Despite the collisions, Burkett managed to evade capture, driving through Scarsdale, Greenburgh, White Plains, and finally into Irvington. According to Irvington police, the ambulance entered the village just before 3:30 a.m., failed to navigate a curve, and crashed into a utility pole before rolling over and coming to a halt.
Burkett, who was being pursued by a fleet of police vehicles, was apprehended and transported to the Westchester Medical Center with minor injuries, according to New Rochelle police. The nature of Burkett’s initial treatment in the emergency room remains undisclosed.
Burkett now faces a slew of charges including reckless endangerment, criminal possession of stolen property, grand larceny, unlawful fleeing a police officer, and criminal mischief. The incident underscores the challenges faced by law enforcement in dealing with unpredictable situations and the potential dangers posed by individuals recently discharged from medical facilities.