Man arrives in luxury car, takes home ambulance

CHENNAI: Anyone can make a mistake. You can take home someone else’s vehicle from a parking lot if it is a similar car. But a businessman from Palavakkam in south Chennai drove away a battered ambulance van in place of his super luxury car early on Sunday.

Police said 30-year-old Mithil brought his friend to a hospital in Nungambakkam in central Chennai in his luxury car, admitted him as an inpatient at around 1.30am, and left after a while.

Hospital authorities found an ambulance missing from its parking lot around the same time and informed police of a suspected theft.

The driver of the ambulance had left the keys in the vehicle, the police said.

Even as hospital authorities and police were wondering what could have happened, Mithil’s driver drove the ambulance back and informed staff that his boss had taken it home by mistake. One of the side-view mirrors of the ambulance, a Maruti Omni van, was found broken and Mithil has promised to reimburse the hospital for the loss.

The driver apologised to authorities and police on his owner’s behalf and explained the incident was a case of “mistaken identity.” The hospital is not pressing any charges as the vehicle was returned but police summoned the businessman for questioning.

According to the police, the businessman’s driver said that Mithil mistakenly drove off in the ambulance and realised it only when his family asked him about the car. Police suspect he might have been under the influence of alcohol.

THE DRIVER OF THE AMBULANCE HAD LEFT THE KEYS IN THE VEHICLE, POLICE SAID