RUNAWAY RESCUE: Stolen NOLA Ambulance Crash Ends Multi-Agency Slidell Chase

High-Speed Pursuit Halted by Spike Strips Before Violent Gause Blvd. Collision

(Slidell, LA) BuzzReport— A perilous, high-speed chase involving a stolen New Orleans EMS ambulance culminated in a serious crash late last night after multiple law enforcement agencies successfully deployed spike strips to slow the runaway vehicle.

The incident, which threatened public safety across the Northshore, concluded violently around 9:30 p.m. at the heavily trafficked intersection of Gause Boulevard and Pearl Acres, near a local CVS pharmacy.

The pursuit began after the New Orleans EMS unit was reported stolen. Louisiana State Police (LSP) and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office (STPSO) initiated the chase, with Slidell Police Department officers quickly joining the coordinated effort as the vehicle crossed parish lines. Authorities confirmed that the emergency vehicle was being driven erratically and dangerously throughout the pursuit.

The decisive factor in curtailing the high-risk situation was the strategic use of spike strips. Law enforcement successfully deployed the strips ahead of the stolen ambulance, significantly deflating the tires and reducing the vehicle’s speed and maneuverability.

Despite the damage to the tires, the suspect continued to flee, accelerating into the intersection of Gause Blvd. and Pearl Acres. Witnesses and police reports confirm the driver ran a red light, colliding forcefully with a civilian passenger vehicle.

“This situation had the potential to be catastrophic,” stated an anonymous law enforcement source familiar with the operation. “Deploying the spike strips was critical. It prevented the suspect from maintaining highway speed and allowed us to contain the incident before it escalated further into a residential area.”

First responders, including the very agency whose vehicle had been stolen, were immediately dispatched to the scene of the accident. The crash resulted in significant damage to both vehicles.

The occupants of the struck civilian vehicle were immediately transported to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment of injuries sustained in the collision. Their current conditions remain publicly undisclosed as of this morning.

The suspect, whose identity has not yet been formally released by authorities pending further investigation, was taken into custody at the scene without further incident. The individual is expected to face numerous serious charges, including felony theft of an emergency vehicle, endangerment, reckless driving, and aggravated assault by motor vehicle.

The investigation is ongoing and is being managed jointly by the Slidell Police Department and the Louisiana State Police.