What sounds like the opening to a heist movie played out in real time on downtown San Antonio streets Wednesday, when police say a woman jumped behind the wheel of an ambulance and took off while two medics and a patient were still inside.
Witnesses told authorities that first responders had been loading a person into the ambulance outside a Wells Fargo branch at East Commerce and South St. Mary’s when the woman climbed into the driver’s seat and pulled away. The stolen unit rolled out of downtown and onto Loop 1604 and U.S. 90 before officers intercepted it on the Southwest side.
What police say
San Antonio police said first responders were dispatched at about 10:30 a.m., and that the woman, believed to be in her 40s and recently released from a local hospital, drove the ambulance with the crew and patient still in the back, according to KSAT. Officers told the outlet the ride stretched from the downtown core out to the Loop 1604 and U.S. 90 corridor, where police finally stopped the vehicle on Southwest Military Drive.
During the incident, medics reportedly tried to get the woman to stop the ambulance. Police told KSAT that she instead closed a glass partition between the cab and the patient compartment, cutting off direct contact as the emergency vehicle rolled along the highway.
Not the first time
While stealing an ambulance is far from an everyday crime, San Antonio has seen it happen before. In 2023, a separate case involved a stolen EMS unit that led officers out of the city and into Kerr County before the ambulance was finally intercepted, the San Antonio Express-News reported. That earlier chase sparked local conversations about how emergency crews secure idling units while they are treating patients.
Charges and safety questions
San Antonio police said the woman could face three counts of kidnapping and one count of vehicle theft, according to KSAT. The outlet also reported that the San Antonio Fire Department moved the original patient into a different ambulance to continue transport after the incident ended.
Officials said neither of the two medics nor the patient was injured.
What comes next
Investigators are still sorting through what happened from the moment the ambulance was left running downtown to the stop on Southwest Military Drive. Prosecutors will decide on the final charges based on the full case file.
Authorities say this remains an active investigation and that more information will be released as it becomes available.
