In a filmy style, Telangana police chase and nab ambulance thief on Vijayawada highway
Hyderabad: For over 140 km on a foggy Saturday morning, and about two tense hours, police chased a stolen ambulance that was recklessly speeding on the Vijayawada highway, lights flashing and siren blaring, and smashing through barricades and even knocking down a policeman.
The driver ultimately drove off the road while trying to avoid another set of barricades. Police finally arrested Ravula Venkatesh Narsimha alias Kala Bhairava, 53, who had stolen the ambulance of the government-run 108 service from a private hospital in Hayathnagar and drove down the highway.
Habitual offender who stole an ambulance and sped away was arrested after a dramatic 140-km chase by the teams of Rachakonda and Nalgonda police on Saturday. During the chase, an ASI suffered serious injuries and undergoing treatment.
Vanasthalipuram ACP K. Kasi Reddy told Deccan Chronicle that Narsimha stole the ambulance that was parked at the hospital gate at about 5 am. Its driver had gone to help in the admission of a patient
Narsimha started the vehicle, switched on the sirens and sped off. Immediately on being informed, police issued a red alert and multiple police teams from Rachakonda and Nalgonda districts began pursuing the ambulance. Additional teams were deployed at Panthangi and Chityala toll plazas and wireless messages were sent to all the police stations along the route, said Kathepally sub-inspector A. Shiva Teja of Nalgonda district.
Despite attempts to stop the vehicle at toll plazas, Narsimha smashed through barricades and used the wrong lanes at two toll plazas to get past. On the highway, he dangerously veered through traffic, with the police giving hot chase.
At Chityala, assistant sub inspector John Reddy, posted with the Korrapadu police, tried to stop the ambulance and was hit by the runaway vehicle. He suffered multiple fractures and a head injury. His condition is critical and being treated at a private hospital in Malakpet, Shiva Teja said.
With all efforts having failed, police blocked the highway at Korrapadu with four trucks. Narsimha tried to hit the police at that spot, lost control over the steering and the ambulance veered off into the Musi River. Police rushed in, arrested Narsimha at 6.35 am and seized the ambulance.
Police said Narsimha, a resident of Hayathnagar and native of Khammam district, has a history of automobile and property theft. Police registered cases of attempt to murder, damaging government property, endangering the lives of police officers and the public, rash and negligent driving and automobile theft.
