Police are searching for a person who stole a fire truck in Washington state on Friday night and left behind a trail of damage and wrecked vehicles.
The Everett Fire Department truck was stolen from the 2900 block of Hoyt Avenue, about 30 miles north of Seattle, while firefighters were responding to a medical emergency on the fifth floor of an apartment building, the fire department said in an update posted to Facebook on Saturday morning.
“The suspect drove the stolen fire engine at high speeds through north Everett residential streets, causing significant damage to multiple parked vehicles and landscaping across five locations before fleeing on foot,” the fire department said.
The firefighters discovered the missing truck just after 11 p.m., when the first 911 call reporting a nearby hit-and-run was received, per the fire department. Witnesses told authorities that a fire truck “struck two parked cars at a high rate of speed and left the scene.”
“About a minute later, similar reports came in from the 1000 block of E Marine View Drive, where the fire engine came to a stop after plowing into ten parked vehicles,” the fire department said.
The Everett Police Department began responding to the incident scenes, which included at least six locations where damage was reported to parked cars, trees, directional signs and grass, per the fire department. No injuries were reported at any of the locations.
Pictures posted by the fire department show the aftermath of the incident, including totaled cars, a knocked-down street sign and miscellaneous debris lining the streets.
The stolen firetruck, a 2018 Pierce Enforcer Pumper weighing around 35,000 pounds, received “significant damage” and has been impounded for evidence, the fire department said. It was one of the department’s newer engines, and its weight makes it “a substantial vehicle when in motion.”
The driver is still at large and the investigation into the incident is ongoing.
“Losing a fire engine to such a reckless person not only jeopardizes the safety of our first responders but also puts our community at risk,” Everett Police Chief John DeRousse said in a statement. “We are committed to ensuring the safety of our residents, and any information that helps us resolve this incident is crucial. It is imperative that we hold the suspect accountable for their actions, and we will work diligently to bring them to justice.”
The police department is asking anyone with information or footage of the incident to get in touch.
Everett Fire Chief Dave DeMarco said the fire department is looking into what can be done to prevent such incidents in the future.
“We are thankful that no one was injured in this event, and we remain focused on safeguarding our community and our emergency response capabilities,” DeMarco said.
