Florida man takes joyride in stolen ambulance: Cops
Inset: Michael J. Esquilin (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office). Background: Ambulance in Tampa, Florida, Esquilin allegedly stole (Florida Highway Patrol).
A Florida man who was apparently upset he wasn’t receiving a free ride home from the hospital decided to steal an ambulance and lead cops on a police chase, according to officials.
Florida Highway Patrol troopers responded around 8:30 p.m. Saturday to HCA South Tampa hospital after a man later identified as 43-year-old Michael J. Esquilin allegedly stole a Tampa Fire Rescue ambulance. Troopers spotted the stolen ambulance within 10 minutes near South Esperanza Avenue and West Bay to Bay Boulevard and attempted to pull him over.
But Esquilin apparently was not done. He fled from the attempted traffic stop and blew through several stop signs, all while the ambulance’s emergency lights were turned off, troopers said. Esquilin then started driving the wrong way down a city street and narrowly avoided crashing into oncoming traffic, according to cops.
Eventually, Tampa police officers stopped him South Hubert Avenue and West Empedrado Street, troopers said. However, Esquilin allegedly decided to spend some more time in the ambulance. He swigged the rest of his beer and then held on to the steering wheel as cops tried to pull him out, troopers said.
