Incoherent Detroit man steals EMS rig, drives it on Lodge Freeway before police catch him

Man steals Detroit Fire EMS rig before getting arrested

It is unclear if the suspect, who suffers from mental illness, will be charged.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Police tracked down a stolen EMS rig Wednesday night.

Detroit police contacted Michigan State Police about the stolen vehicle around 11:15 p.m. As police tracked the rig, the driver got on the Lodge Freeway.

A trooper and Detroit officer followed the rig off the freeway to Monica Street, where an incoherent man was arrested. The man could be heard on the EMS radio trying to figure out how to put the rig in park.

Police said the man could not provide information to officers, so his fingerprints were used to identify him as a 29-year-old from Detroit. Police said he has a history of mental illness.

The EMS rig was left running in front of the firehouse on purpose, DFD Chief James Harris said.

"Response time. The quicker we can get there the quicker we can save a life," he said. "That can be extremely dangerous because we get a lot of calls and most our calls are life or death. And if you're on that radio playing around that's just adding to our response time."

Detroit police and Michigan State Police gave chase. The rig made it west about seven miles away, even getting on the Lodge before he stopped, and was arrested - driving with the parking break on, the entire way.

Harris said there were no injuries and no damages to the rig.