A woman from Shawnee, Oklahoma, said she's grateful to be alive after the ambulance she was in was hijacked.
Cherokee Cox called for an ambulance on Friday, March 26, because she was having an allergic reaction and trouble breathing. She was being treated in the back of the ambulance when it suddenly started moving and the EMT with her fell out of the vehicle's back doors.
“I was scared out of my mind. My heart was racing. I had to calm myself down,” she told KFOR.
Cox had her cell phone on her and called 9-1-1. Police then started following the ambulance.
Police said they could see Cox trying to get their attention as the ambulance headed onto Interstate 40.
The suspect was able to get in contact with Shawnee 9-1-1 dispatchers and told them that he'd let Cox out of the ambulance if police backed off.
“He was just saying stop, make them stop and I’ll pull over, make him stop and I’ll pull over,” said Cox.
The chase lasted about 30 minutes. The ambulance stopped when the suspect hit a stop sign south of I-40 on Highway 27.
The suspect took off running while leaving Cox in the ambulance. Police arrested the suspect and made sure Cox was ok after the wild ride.
“I’m grateful that I’m the one that was in there and not somebody who immediately needed attention,” she said.
Shawnee police didn't identify the man but said that he'll be charged with kidnapping, assault and battery of medical personnel. They didn't say what motivated the man to steal the ambulance.
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