An Athens man allegedly stole an ambulance while under the influence before robbing a Walgreens early Sunday, police said.
Edward Lee Wessinger, 41, is accused of stealing the ambulance from St. Mary’s Hospital around 12:15 a.m. while the driver was waiting inside the facility for a patient, Athens police said in a news release.
Police found the abandoned vehicle in the 2500 block of West Broad Street, the release said. Video evidence allegedly captured the ambulance running multiple red lights, striking several vehicles and jumping a few curbs.
Just after 1 a.m., police responded to a burglary call at the Walgreens off Hawthorne Avenue, where officers noticed a hole in the building’s front glass door, the release said. Wessinger was arrested inside the store.
The video obtained by police allegedly tied Wessinger to the ambulance theft. The vehicle was abandoned about a mile from the Walgreens.
He faces charges of smash-and-grab burglary, motor vehicle theft, DUI, reckless driving and driving with a suspended license, according to Clarke County jail records. He also has a hold for an outstanding felony in Oglethorpe County.
Wessinger remains in jail without bond, records show.
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