Joliet man stole ambulance, crashed it during chase: cops

A Joliet man was arrested after he stole an ambulance, fled from police and collided with another vehicle on West Jefferson Street, police said.

Shortly before 1:30 a.m. Thursday, officers went to AMITA Health Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet for a report of a man who stole a Wilmington Fire Department ambulance from the hospital’s ambulance parking bay, Joliet police said in a statement released Thursday.

“While en route, officers located the stolen ambulance westbound West Jefferson Street at Barney Drive, driven by (Henry) McCall,” police said.

Officers attempted to pull the ambulance over when McCall, 58, refused to stop, police said, which led to a chase.

Officers pursued the ambulance to West Jefferson Street and Northeast Frontage Road, at which time McCall collided with another vehicle traveling west on Jefferson Street, police said.

“McCall lost control of the ambulance and rolled over the guardrail on the north side of the roadway and crashed into a ditch near Interstate 55,” police said.

McCall fled from the ambulance on foot but he was quickly apprehended, police said.

Both McCall and the driver whose vehicle was struck by the ambulance were hospitalized with minor injuries, police said.

McCall was then taken to the Will County jail.

In a statement, Wilmington fire officials said that their ambulance was taken when it was parked in the emergency room ambulance parking area “after delivering a patient to the hospital.”

“As ambulance crew personnel were preparing to leave the hospital and return to the ambulance, a subject entered the ambulance and drove off,” officials said.

Joliet police Sgt. Dwayne English said, “At this time, it is unknown why Mr. McCall stole the ambulance or the reason why he was at the hospital in the first place.”

At Thursday’s bond hearing, Will County Assistant State’s Attorney Thomas Bahar requested a $250,000 bond for McCall based on the charges and his criminal history.

Bahar noted that between 2001 and 2014, McCall was convicted of vehicular hijacking, aggravated battery, retail theft and possession of a stolen motor vehicle in Cook County. McCall also had a theft conviction in Champaign County in 2003.

He said McCall had an arrest warrant in a driving while license suspended case.

Joseph Pavur, McCall’s appointed public defender, asked for a reasonable bond.

Judge Brian Barrett set McCall’s bond at $75,000.

The Joliet Police Department posted a squad video of the chase on their Facebook page.