Man arrested in Tampa after stealing, crashing fire truck, police say

Tampa police on Tuesday arrested a man accused of stealing a fire engine parked outside St. Joseph’s Hospital and then crashing into an SUV.

William Scudder, 59, drove off in the Tampa Fire Rescue engine about 9:25 a.m. while firefighters were inside the hospital, according to the Tampa Police Department. Scudder than crashed into a Lexus SUV near the intersection of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and MacDill Avenue, police said.

Police caught up to Scudder in the 4100 block of Poplar Avenue about 15 minutes later, blocked the engine’s path and arrested him on charges of grand theft auto and leaving the scene of a crash. His booking information was not immediately available Tuesday.

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The driver of the Lexus complained of hip pain and was being evaluated by hospital staff.

A Tampa Fire Rescue spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions from the Tampa Bay Times for more information about the incident.

The is a developing story. Check tampabay.com for updates.