A patient in Manhattan pulled off an unexpected heist on Thursday by stealing the ambulance that had taken him to Mount Sinai Morningside for evaluation.
After his evaluation, Matthew Checko was released and spotted the same ambulance parked near the emergency bay with the keys still in the ignition.
The 47-year-old took advantage of the opportunity and sped off in the ambulance at around 4:50 am. Police sources reported that Checko was under the influence of alcohol when he stole the ambulance.
An alert was issued immediately, and the ambulance was tracked by a GPS device. State police attempted to pull Checko over on I-87 near Exit 9 in Tarrytown in Westchester County.
When he failed to comply, they followed him over the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, which connects Westchester and Rockland counties.
Checko’s wild ride came to a halt when he ran over the stop strips laid across the roadway by state troopers, causing the ambulance’s tires to deflate.
He was apprehended and charged with grand larceny, possession of stolen property, driving while intoxicated (DWI), and fleeing a police officer.
