7/9/24 Memphis, TN – Woman Steals Memphis FD Ambulance – Runs Over A Nurse’s Foot – Crashes Into Brick Wall – Then Crashes Into Another Ambulance From Crittenden County EMS – Arrested

July 9, 2024

www.fox13memphis.com

A woman was arrested Monday night after she stole a Memphis Fire Department (MFD) ambulance and crashed it in the Medical District, police said.

Memphis Police (MPD) said Tanya Thomas, 50, also ran over a nurse’s foot, crashed into a brick wall and tried to hit officers after hijacking the emergency vehicle at Regional One Health. The call in around 9:30 p.m.

MPD said an officer was at the trauma center for a DOA call when nurses flagged him down about a woman stealing the MFD vehicle a few minutes earlier.

Police said the woman got into a 2019 Ford F5G belonging to MFD and tried to hit two officers who were on scene. A pursuit ensued and ended after the stolen vehicle stopped a couple blocks away at the V.A. Medical Center, police said.

MPD said the woman, later identified as Thomas, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, evading arrest and theft of property over $250,000.

“Can’t make this stuff up,” Crittenden County EMS said in a Facebook post.

Crittenden County EMS said one of its emergency vehicles was damaged after a patient walked out of the trauma center and got into the MFD ambulance truck, leading to a chaotic sequence of events.

The woman then drove the MFD ambulance into a concrete wall and swerved to miss an armed security guard before crashing into the Crittenden County EMS vehicle, officials said.

The Crittenden County ambulance was left “inoperable,” officials said.

“Some days you just can’t make up the shenanigans that I have to deal with on the regular running an ambulance service,” Crittenden County EMS said in the Facebook post.

In August 2023, Memphis Police said a man stole a Crittenden County ambulance before striking a pedestrian and causing a multi-vehicle crash in East Memphis.