Early this morning, a Tampa resident made the bold decision to steal a fire engine right outside St. Joseph's Hospital, leading local police on a brief chase that resulted in a hit-and-run collision. At around 9:25 a.m., 59-year-old Warren Scudder, identified as a white male born on February 20, 1966, seized the opportunity to commandeer the emergency vehicle as firefighters attended to their duties inside the hospital. According to the Tampa Police Department's report, his joyride was quickly marred by an incident with a grey Lexus SUV at the intersection of Dr. King Blvd and MacDill Ave.
The driver of the Lexus, an adult male, reportedly suffered hip pain and had to be evaluated by hospital staff. In the chaos that ensued, Tampa Police officers were promptly dispatched to pursue and safely recover the stolen fire engine. Within minutes, in the 4100 block of Poplar Ave, law enforcement successfully intercepted and corralled the fire engine at 9:38 am, effectively bringing Scudder's escapade to a halt.
Scudder was arrested without further incident and now faces charges for Grand Theft Auto and Hit & Run. Based on the official statement from the Tampa Police, they indicated that additional charges may be pending as the investigation remains active.
