Intoxicated Bangkok man steals and crashes ambulance
An intoxicated Bangkok man stole and crashed an ambulance on Wednesday night. The suspect, 21 year old Jirasak, allegedly stole the ambulance from Ratburana Police Station and drove it to a gas station. There, he unsuccessfully attempted to steal a pickup truck before returning to the ambulance. Jirasak drove away, and was involved in a collision, Thai PBS reported.
Jirasak was believed to be high on cannabis. On Tuesday, the day before the accident, his family had taken him to Patburana Police Station for temporary detention, waiting for health officials to take him to a drug rehabilitation centre.
Jirasak’s family reported that he had developed a severe addiction to cannabis after working on a cannabis farm for three months. They claimed that he began experiencing hallucinations as a result of his cannabis use, although this claim is not widely supported by scientific evidence. The known side effects of cannabis use do not typically include hallucinations.
On Wednesday night, Jirasak allegedly slipped out of the police station and stole the ambulance, which had been left unattended with the ignition key still in the vehicle.
Jirasak then drove to a gas station on Pracha Uthit Road, where he approached a female driver and her five year old daughter in a pickup truck. After he failed to hijack the pickup, Jirasak returned to the ambulance and drove away.
Jirasak later crashed the ambulance into a parked car on Pracha Uthit Soi 41. Police arrived at the scene and took him back into custody.
While car thefts happen from time to time in Thailand, ambulance thefts are less common.
In July 2020, a man was arrested in Phang Nga after allegedly stealing an ambulance in Phuket. Reports said the vehicle was stolen from outside the Kathu office of The Kusoldharm Foundation, and discovered missing by a member of the foundation shortly after.
The thief was arrested, yet somehow managed to escape while police were noting down his information. He was recaptured some 20 minutes later. The 19 year old thief said he stole the ambulance because he was trying to get home.
