Stolen Fort Worth FD ambulance driven to Austin, driver shot dead – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

A man is dead after stealing an ambulance belonging to the Fort Worth Fire Department and driving it to Austin, officials say.

According to the Fort Worth Fire Department, the ambulance was stolen from Fire Station 4 at 2954 Old Mansfield Road in Fort Worth on Thursday morning.

Fort Worth Fire Department officials said multiple agencies were involved in searching for the stolen vehicle.

The vehicle was later located in Austin, almost 200 miles away.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, state troopers were notified at 6:30 a.m. that the stolen ambulance was traveling southbound on I-35 in Williamson County. Troopers attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the driver refused to stop.

The DPS said the driver took the ambulance onto South U.S. 290 and intentionally rammed multiple vehicles and evaded DPS troopers. State troopers attempted a PIT maneuver to stop the ambulance, but it was unsuccessful.

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The DPS said the ambulance continued ramming vehicles as it drove onto the upper deck of I-35, at which point a DPS trooper shot the driver, who was later pronounced dead at the scene.

According to the Austin Police Department, the upper deck of I-35, as well as a large portion of southbound I-35 from US Highway 183 into the downtown area, were closed for several hours following the incident.

Drivers were encouraged to avoid the area and use alternative routes if possible, police said.