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Stolen ambulance driven into New York bay after chase, police say

"In my 15 years, I’ve never heard of anything quite of this nature," a police official said.
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A police chase across New York state ended Sunday when a stolen ambulance was driven into a bay on Lake Ontario, authorities said.

Police did not publicly identify the suspect or say what charges the person may face.

State police said in a statement that officers tried to stop the driver on an interstate in central New York shortly before 11 a.m. but that the driver refused to comply.

IMAGE: Ambulance driven into Lake Irondequoit near Rochester
Police at the scene where they say a a stolen ambulance was driven into Lake Irondequoit near Rochester, N.Y., after a chase.WHEC / WHEC

Authorities tried to stop the driver again on a different interstate, but the person continued driving, and authorities ended the pursuit. NBC affiliate WSTM of Syracuse reported that the chase was stopped for public safety reasons.

The station reported that two attempts to use spike strips failed.

Authorities later found the ambulance after it had been driven into Irondequoit Bay, near Rochester. The pursuit began in Utica, about two hours east.

The driver swam to a private vessel but was later taken into custody, police said.

"In my 15 years, I've never heard of anything quite of this nature," Utica police Sgt. Michael Curley told WSTM.

Video from NBC affiliate WHEC of Rochester showed crews hoisting the vehicle out of the bay around 5 p.m. The station reported that divers helped retrieve the ambulance from about 30 feet of water.