Minnesota Woman Arrested Downstate After Stealing Ambulance In Arlington Heights
Updated 10/10/14 - 10:56 a.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A 27-year-old woman from Minnesota was arrested in downstate Rantoul on Friday, after stealing an ambulance from a hospital in northwest suburban Arlington Heights.
Police said the woman stole an Arlington Heights Fire Department ambulance from the emergency room bay at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights around 4:15 a.m.
The Arlington Heights Fire Department said the ambulance crew was dropping a patient off at the hospital, and were inside for no more than 10 minutes when the ambulance was stolen.
Police conducted a high-speed chase for a time, but called off the pursuit due to dangerous conditions. Police said the woman was driving as fast as 80 mph, but not erratically.
The woman allegedly made her way south on Interstate 90, Interstate 294, and Interstate 57.
Authorities were able to track the ambulance using its GPS system.
Police in Rantoul, about 150 miles south of where the ambulance was stolen, said they received a request for assistance in finding the stolen ambulance.
"The ambulance was reportedly using the siren, running vehicles off the road," as it headed south on I-57, according to Rantoul Police Sgt. Sean Arie. "A request for stop sticks was made, if the ambulance made it this far south."
Arie said Illinois State Police halted their pursuit of the ambulance at the Ford and Champaign county line. Rantoul police spotted the ambulance at 6:13 a.m., immediately set up stop sticks, and stopped the ambulance at 6:15 a.m.
The driver, 27-year-old Samantha Sligar, of Minneapolis, was arrested and charged with possession of a motor vehicle, according to Arie.
