Broward County

Stolen ambulance goes on felonious joy ride, slamming into a car and tree, deputies say

A woman who stole an ambulance in Tamarac, Florida, went on a dangerous joyride slamming into a car and tree, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said.
A woman who stole an ambulance in Tamarac, Florida, went on a dangerous joyride slamming into a car and tree, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said. adrey@centredaily.com

A woman took an ambulance for a joyride through Broward County on Friday afternoon, slamming into cars and eventually a tree, deputies said.

Ciara McGriff, 34, is facing charges with grand theft auto, false imprisonment and leaving the scene of accident with property damage.

Around 1:10 p.m., the Broward Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call that an ambulance was stolen at University Drive and McNab Road in Tamarac. An employee of the ambulance company was still inside the emergency vehicle when it was stolen — they were able to escape unharmed.

At some point, the ambulance was involved in a hit-and-run crash at Pine Island Road in Tamarac, the sheriff’s office said. No one was injured in the crash.

A bit later, the ambulance slammed into a tree in the 4000 block of Hiatus Road. Detectives believe McGriff jumped out of the moving vehicle before it struck the tree.

The woman was arrested and taken to the hospital to treat her injuries.

Devoun Cetoute
Miami Herald
Miami Herald Cops and Breaking News Reporter Devoun Cetoute covers a plethora of Florida topics, from breaking news to crime patterns. He was on the breaking news team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2022. He’s a graduate of the University of Florida, born and raised in Miami-Dade. Theme parks, movies and cars are on his mind in and out of the office.
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