Patient jumps out of ambulance, dies on highway

A woman being transported to a psychiatric hospital after attacking a police officer died Monday morning when she jumped out of an ambulance into highway traffic in Dublin, authorities said.

The incident occurred about 7:30 a.m. on the interchange connecting southbound Interstate 680 and westbound Interstate 580.

The ambulance owned by Norcal Ambulance had pulled over on the side of the freeway because of an unspecified problem with the patient, who was not immediately identified, according to the Pleasanton Police Department, which is assisting with the investigation. The woman then forced her way out of the vehicle and ran into oncoming traffic, where she was hit and killed by a passing vehicle, police said.

The highway connector was shut down for more than two hours as police, medical teams and the county coroner’s office responded.

The woman had been en route to the John George Psychiatric Hospital in San Leandro after being detained by Pleasanton police hours earlier.

Officers had received reports at about 2 a.m. of a person driving recklessly in the area of 5300 Case Ave. The officers found the driver standing next to her vehicle and tried to detain her, police said, but she refused their orders.

“She tried to get back into the vehicle, and we tried to get her out,” said police Lt. Erik Silacci.

A tussle ensued, police said, and when the woman tried to grab an officer’s firearm, two others used their stun guns to stop her.

The woman was taken to Stanford ValleyCare Medical Center before being rerouted to the psychiatric facility.