OGDENSBURG, New York (WWNY) – The Ogdensburg Volunteer Rescue Squad has a plan to continue all of its service after a man allegedly stole and crashed one of its ambulances on Monday.
Ambulance 244 in Ogdensburg’s fleet has made its last run.
According to city police, it was stolen from the emergency room at Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center on Monday afternoon by 25-year-old Yengi Lado of Hannawa Falls.
Police said Lado was combative in the ER before taking the vehicle. He allegedly sped down Mansion Avenue before crashing into a lot on Cedar Street and leveling a garage.
Right after the crash, police said Lado ran and jumped into a nearby tractor trailer cab before being taken into custody.
Rescue Squad Chief Ken Gardner got the call shorty after the incident.
“I didn’t know if civilians or any of our staff got hurt or anybody from the hospital. That’s always my first concern is everybody’s safety,” he said.
Gardner says no one was injured, but the squad is still waiting for an appraisal on the ambulance. He fully expects it to be totaled. That leaves only 2 working ambulances on the road, but he says there won’t be any lapses in service.
“We have had some offers from some other agencies in which to borrow an ambulance in the meantime and we also have a loner program through our normal manufacturer that’s in the works to get us one, so we’ll be fine,” he said.
The owner of the garage on Cedar Street tells 7 News most of the items in the building are destroyed and will work with his insurance company.
As for Lado, he is back at Claxton-Hepburn for evaluation.
Police say charges are on the way.
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