WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI — A 40-minute police chase involving a stolen ambulance with a patient ended safely in Pittsville. Authorities arrested Benjamin L. Feltz after the chase concluded in a muddy field.
The Wisconsin Rapids Fire Department ambulance was stolen at approximately 5:37 p.m. while it was parked in the 1400 block of 22nd Avenue South.
Paramedics were treating a patient at a nearby residence when Feltz allegedly entered the driver’s seat and fled the scene with the patient still secured in the back of the vehicle.
Two paramedics were in the patient compartment with a patient on a gurney when the suspect entered the driver’s seat. One paramedic exited the ambulance to try to engage the subject.
A second paramedic attempted to prevent the vehicle from moving but was forced to exit once their safety was compromised. The suspect then fled with the patient still in the rear transport area.
The pursuit began in Wisconsin Rapids and traveled approximately 18.2 miles to State Highway 73/80 in Pittsville. During the 40-minute chase, Wisconsin Rapids officers attempted to use tire-deflation devices, but the efforts were unsuccessful.
As the vehicle entered Pittsville, deputies from the Wood County Sheriff’s Office took over radio communications and also attempted to deflate the tires without success.
Several agencies assisted in the response, including the Pittsville Police Department, the Port Edwards Police Department, and the Wisconsin State Patrol.
Pittsville Police eventually successfully deployed tire-deflation devices that disabled the front passenger-side tire. The suspect then drove the ambulance into a muddy field where the vehicle became immobilized.
Feltz refused multiple commands to exit the ambulance delivered through a squad car’s public address system. Because of concerns for the patient in the back of the vehicle, Wisconsin Rapids officers used a drone to monitor the suspect from a distance.
A coordinated team of officers and deputies then approached the vehicle and took Feltz into custody, noting that he was naked, according to WSAW.
Both Feltz and the patient were uninjured during the incident.
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