CRIME BLOTTER

Man escapes ambulance, steals car, and leads police on chase in Seattle

Aug 7, 2026, 6:15 AM

seattle ambulance escape...

A photo of Seattle Police Department and Seattle Fire Department vehicles. (Photo: Jason Rantz, Seattle Red)

(Photo: Jason Rantz, Seattle Red)

A 28-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday after he escaped from an ambulance, stole a car, and fled from the police.

At approximately 7:16 a.m., Seattle Police Department (SPD) officers found a shirtless man running through heavy traffic near 4th Avenue S. and S. Holgate Street, SPD announced Thursday.

The suspect appeared to be going through a crisis, and officers decided to send him to the hospital due to safety concerns.

Situation quickly spiraled after Seattle man escaped the ambulance

As the suspect was being transported to the hospital, he escaped from the ambulance near 4th Avenue S. and S. Jackson Street. Shortly after the suspect escaped, he stole a woman’s car as she was parking it.

SPD officers used the vehicle’s tracking system to locate it near S. Grand Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way S. after it hit a parked vehicle. The suspect ran from the vehicle and led SPD on a chase until he was apprehended.

Real Time Crime Center analysts notified SPD officers that the suspect had been driving the stolen car through oncoming traffic at a high rate of speed while hanging out of the vehicle.

The suspect was ultimately booked into King County Jail for stealing the car, driving recklessly, and hit-and-run.

Follow Jason Sutich on X. Send news tips here.

Crime Blotter

Tacoma shooting homicide...

KIRO 7 News Staff

Detectives investigating homicide after man shot dead in Tacoma

Detectives are investigating a homicide after a man was shot dead in Tacoma overnight, according to the Tacoma Police Department.

1 hour ago

port orchard arson golf cart...

KIRO 7 News Staff

Deputies: Man pulls up to stranger’s house in golf cart with dog passenger to light garage on fire

A man has been booked into the Kitsap County Jail for allegedly lighting a stranger’s garage on fire while the person was home.

1 hour ago

seattle ambulance escape...

Jason Sutich

Man escapes ambulance, steals car, and leads police on chase in Seattle

A 28-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday after he escaped from an ambulance, stole a car, and fled from the police.

3 hours ago

seattle man arrest...

James Lynch

Online sting leads to arrest of Seattle man as law enforcement ramps up predator crackdown

The Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) said an online undercover operation has led to the arrest of a 29-year-old Seattle man.

17 hours ago

_Aaron Farinacci spokane fires old trails fire...

MyNorthwest Staff

$2M bail set after arson suspect admits to planning Old Trails Fire, setting 25 other fires since July 2025

The man arrested for arson in connection with the Old Trails Fire in Spokane told detectives he planned to start the fire.

18 hours ago

seattle narcotics trafficking...

Jason Sutich

‘Obscene and lethal amounts’: Drug kingpin gets 10 years for flooding Seattle’s ‘Jungle’ with narcotics

The leader of a drug distribution network was sentenced to 10 years in prison after police cracked down on activity in Seattle and nearby homeless camps.

22 hours ago

Man escapes ambulance, steals car, and leads police on chase in Seattle