A man is in a serious condition in hospital after an ambulance was stolen from Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda this afternoon and crashed into a bus.

The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission is investigating the circumstances of the crash and a spokeswoman for GSOC said it had been notified that gardaí were in pursuit of the ambulance when the crash occurred.

It is understood that a man who had been in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital jumped into the ambulance at around 1.15pm, which was parked outside the Emergency Department.

He then drove the vehicle away at speed, pursued by gardaí and the ambulance crashed into a bus a short distance away on Ballymakenny Road.

There were no passengers on the bus at the time of the crash.

Ballymakenny Road has been sealed off and gardaí are still at the scene.