Ambulance stolen while staff help patient

Road spikes were used to stop an ambulance stolen from outside a Dunedin house.

The ambulance was stolen outside a property in South Dunedin just after 11pm on Sunday.

Police said GPS was used to track the ambulance, which police stopped in the Waihola area using road spikes.

Court documents said the Mercedes ambulance was worth $220,000. It was understood another vehicle was damaged by the spikes.

St John Southland district operations manager Pauline Buchanan said paramedics were treating a patient at a residential property when their ambulance was stolen.

‘‘It is reprehensible that while our ambulance officers were providing essential clinical care to a patient someone would steal their ambulance,’’ she said.

‘‘There was complete disregard for the consequences of their actions and for the patient they were caring for.

‘‘It is fortunate that the patient was able to be treated at the scene and did not require transportation and there were no further calls for ambulance assistance during this time as this could have potentially impacted one of our patients.’’

Buchanan said St John was grateful for the swift response by police.

She said she understood the ambulance had sustained considerable damage and would be off the road for repairs, putting it out of action as an emergency resource.

A witness told Stuff she saw two police cars with sirens and lights coming towards her car when an ambulance with no lights on pulled in front of her car ‘‘narrowly missing my family and myself’’ near Milton, South Otago.

‘‘I had to slam on my brakes to avoid a collision.’’

Dunedin man Clayton Tamakehu, 30, was charged with stealing the ambulance, dangerous driving, driving while forbidden and failing to stop.

He appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday and was remanded without plea to appear again on March 19.