This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Huntsville Police say they have arrested the man who stole an ambulance from outside the Huntsville Hospital ER early Saturday morning.

HEMSI officials confirmed to WHNT News 19 the ambulance was stolen around 3:15 a.m. as paramedics were attending to a patient who had been taken to the hospital.

Huntsville Police say they caught up with the ambulance, which had been wrecked, at Joseph E. Lowery Blvd. and Lowe Ave. They later found Jackie Eric Poteet, 46, walking nearby.

Poteet is currently charged with Theft 1st Degree.

HEMSI officials tell us the company has a policy where ambulances are always turned off and locked after arriving at the hospital, except in extreme emergencies, such as Saturday morning’s incident.

Officials said the ambulance was “substantially damaged” in the wreck, but didn’t go into any further detail.