What started as a routine medical call in Memphis turned into an interstate headache on Friday, when officials say an ambulance vanished from the scene and later turned up across the river in Arkansas. A Memphis woman has now been charged after crews discovered unit 30 missing while they were inside treating a patient. Fire officials began tracking the rig's location, Arkansas State Police moved in to recover it and detain the driver, and authorities say no one was hurt. The arrested driver faces a felony theft charge, according to police.
How officials say the theft happened
According to investigators, Memphis firefighters reported watching an unknown person jump into unit 30 and drive off while crew members were still inside a location with a patient. That is when tracking tools kicked in, allowing officials to follow the ambulance as it crossed into Arkansas. Troopers eventually located the vehicle and detained the driver, as reported by FOX13 Memphis.
What this means for Memphis EMS
The Memphis Fire Department operates a sizable emergency-medical fleet and leans on vehicle-tracking systems and cooperation with agencies in other counties and states when calls spill over jurisdictional lines, according to the department's website. Industry reports note that stolen ambulances continue to be a recurring problem nationwide, most commonly when units are left running or unattended. For more on how local fleets are managed and the broader issue of ambulance thefts, see the Memphis Fire Department and EMS1.
Arrest, charges and next steps
Memphis police said the person detained in Arkansas is Vanessa Bowen, who has been charged with theft of property valued between $60,000 and $250,000. Fire officials again emphasized that neither crew members nor the patient were injured at any point during the incident. Arkansas troopers assisted with recovering the ambulance and detaining the suspect, according to FOX13 Memphis. Bowen is expected to be processed through Memphis booking and could face additional charges as investigators continue reviewing the case.
