SOUTH ROXANA – A stolen Gateway Med Star ambulance crashed Thursday morning, Sept. 11, 2025, on Route 111 near South Roxana after police deployed stop sticks to halt the vehicle, authorities said.
The incident began around 9 a.m. Sept. 11, when a patient being unloaded at the emergency room at Gateway Regional Medical Center at 2010 Madison Avenue in Granite City reportedly stole the ambulance and fled the scene, according to Madison County Sheriff Jeff Connor.
“During the unloading process, the patient stole a Med Star ambulance and fled the emergency room,” Sheriff Connor said. “A call was made to Granite City police, and they put out the alert.”
A deputy from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office intercepted the ambulance on Route 111 north of Poag Road, prompting a pursuit involving multiple agencies. A South Roxana officer deployed stop sticks in an attempt to stop the vehicle. The driver made an evasive maneuver, lost control, and rolled the ambulance into a ditch, Sheriff Connor said.
The driver was taken into custody with minor injuries and was transported by ambulance back to Gateway Regional Medical Center, Connor said.
The Illinois State Police and the Metro East Auto Theft Task Force are handling the investigation into the stolen vehicle. The case involved collaboration among Granite City Police, South Roxana Police, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Pontoon Beach authorities, and multiple fire departments.
Sheriff Connor expressed gratitude for the coordinated response.
“We are thankful to everyone who was able to help,” he said.
