Police: Trainee stole, crashed emergency aid van

Police: Trainee stole, crashed emergency aid van

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Story Published: Sep 7, 2008 at 12:51 PM PDT

Story Updated: Nov 21, 2008 at 1:49 AM PDT

By KOMO Staff

BUCODA, Wash. - A teenage trainee with the Bucoda Fire Department stole an emergency aid van and crashed it early Saturday, leaving the small Thurston County community without an ambulance of its own.

Tenino Police Chief Joe Vukich said the 18-year-old man entered the fire department through an unlocked window, stole a portable radio and drove off in the aid van at about 2 a.m.

The keys had been left in the aid vehicle’s ignition so emergency personnel could respond quickly in case of an emergency, Vukich said.

A Bucoda fire volunteer spotted the aid vehicle heading down a rural road. The volunteer said the trainee was driving at high speed when he turned and sped off on a nearby road and crashed, Vukich said. The vehicle was totaled.

The teen fled but was tracked down by a K-9 unit, Vukich said. He was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital with possible head injuries.

It was not immediately known if the man was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, Vukich said. A blood sample was taken for testing.

The loss of the aid vehicle leaves the small town of Bucoda, located northeast of Centralia, without an emergency medical van. The department has two fire trucks.

The incident remains under investigation.

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