A Maryland man led police on a wild chase from behind the wheel of two different trucks and then a stolen ambulance Saturday afternoon, striking multiple vehicles across three different highways, police said.
The suspect caused a multi-car crash on I-395 in a stolen truck before stealing an ambulance that was responding to the scene. While in the stolen ambulance, he struck at least 13 other vehicles and rammed a state trooper's cruiser, authorities say.
The chase zipped from I-66 to I-395 to the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Virginia and then back onto I-395 and into the District, where the driver was arrested after a final head-on crash.
Virginia state police identified the suspect as Darell T. Caldwell, 30, of Brandywine, Maryland. He is facing federal and local charges, and state charges are pending, authorities said Saturday night.
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"At this time, state police have accounted for and are investigating 13 hit-and-run crashes committed by the stolen ambulance," police said in a news release.
Video from Dave Statter shows police chasing after the ambulance.
No one was seriously hurt in the series of crashes, but several people were taken to hospitals with minor injuries. The officers involved in the pursuit and the medics from the stolen ambulance were not hurt, authorities said.
This story is continuing to develop. The investigation is still in its preliminary stages. Details of the suspect's alleged route and the number of crashes may fluctuate as we learn more.
Original crash on I-66 involved stolen truck, police say
Police said the crash that kicked off the chain of events involved a truck that had been reported stolen out of Falls Church. The driver of that truck caused a two-car crash on I-66, near the 74 mile marker, police said.
Responders arrived at 3:40 p.m., and the other driver was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
But the driver of the truck — Caldwell, according to police — fled the scene.
One-minute later: Multi-vehicle crash on I-395
The area of I-66 where the first crash occurred is near an interchange with I-395.
Just one minute after the truck driver sped off, state police were called to a multi-vehicle crash in the northbound lanes of I-395, near exit 10 in Arlington County.
Police say the same stolen truck caused that crash, which injured five people. They were taken to a hospital.
Traffic camera video shows the truck smashing into at least 10 cars in heavy traffic, ending up over the curb on the right shoulder. The driver got out and ran, police say.
Driver's escape route moves to second truck, GW Parkway: Police
Minutes later, police were alerted to yet another crash, this one on the George Washington Memorial Parkway. It was a different truck, but the same suspect, police say.
Caldwell was traveling the wrong way on the parkway when he hit another vehicle, police said.
It's not clear where the suspect got the second truck.
Suspect accused of stealing ambulance that was responding to earlier crash
At the same time, an Arlington County Fire & EMS ambulance that was headed to the I-395 crash found the collision on the GW Parkway and stopped there.
Medics got out to help — but while they were with the other driver, Caldwell ran up to the ambulance and drove off in it, police said.
The medics waved down a state trooper, who then raced after the ambulance, but the suspect refused to stop, police say. Virginia State Police began a pursuit, assisted by Arlington County police.
Authorities say at one point, the suspect stopped the ambulance, but as the trooper was getting out of his car, Caldwell reversed, rammed the trooper's car and took off again.
Final crash: Ambulance plows head-on into parked car in DC
The ambulance went back to I-395, this time in the Express Lanes. Police chased the driver into the District, where he finally stopped after a head-on crash with a parked car on 14th Street SW at D Street. One person was inside the parked car and received minor injuries.
Caldwell was taken into custody without incident, police said.
Shari Gribbin, a resident of a high-rise building across the street captured video of the arrest. Multiple police units responded with sirens blaring.
“It just looked like a really bad car accident, but then seeing all the emergency vehicles way up front suggested, 'Uh oh, something more is going on there,'" Gribbin said.
Caldwell was taken to a hospital for medical evaluation.
Kids, families and people with their dogs are often in the area where the chase ended, according to Gribbin.
“It’s still crazy, it’s still never less wild, when something crazy happens," she said.
Specific charges against Caldwell were not yet available, but police said he has been charged by both federal and local law enforcement, and state charges were pending. It is unknown if he has a lawyer yet.
Virginia state police asked anyone who was hit by the ambulance during the pursuit to call them at 703-803-0026.
UPDATE (Aug. 12, 10:15 p.m.): Police previously said the final crash happened in the Northwest quadrant of D.C. It was in the Southwest quadrant.
This story is developing. Refresh this page for updates.
