During operation

Drunk couple steal German rescue vehicle

(Bild: Michael)

Paramedics were astonished when they suddenly found themselves without a vehicle during an operation in Düsseldorf. In an unobserved moment, a drunken couple had stolen the ambulance, which had been parked with its engine running, and driven off.

The brazen theft occurred during a medical emergency in an apartment building to which the emergency services had been called. When one of the paramedics went to get some medication from the vehicle, the car had disappeared. It was parked about a hundred meters away.

Selfies in a stolen rescue vehicle
According to the police, a 27-year-old woman was sitting in the driver's seat with her 19-year-old companion next to her. The latter was obviously taking selfies with a smartphone. The paramedic ordered the two out of the ambulance and called the police.

The suspects were caught shortly afterwards as part of a manhunt near the scene of the crime. The 19-year-old was released after his personal details were established and his phone confiscated. The 27-year-old woman, who was reportedly behaving extremely aggressively, was initially taken to the police station but was later also released. The woman was banned from driving until further notice. The two will now face criminal charges.