Police said a patient being transported by an ambulance jumped out and stole a different ambulance for a joyride Saturday morning.

Police said Darren Ethedge, 31, of northeast Washington, was high on PCP and was being transported by a DC Fire EMS ambulance at 9:30 a.m. Saturday when the vehicle got into a minor crash in the 300 block of Florida Avenue, Northeast. As is protocol, a second ambulance wass called to transport the patient.

When the second ambulance arrived, Ethedge jumped out of the back of the first ambulance and into the driver’s seat of the second. He sped off with police in chase.

The pursuit ended at Mount Olivet Road and Brentwood Parkway where police ordered him out of the ambulance. He was arrested and is expected to be charged with theft of the vehicle.

