Florida Man Steals Ambulance, Caught Chugging Beer After Wild Police Chase 3.
Picture this: a Florida man steals an ambulance, leads police on a chaotic chase, and finishes a beer before being apprehended. Is this the new standard for thrill-seeking? Michael J. Esquilin, 43, certainly upped the ante in Tampa last Saturday night when he decided that a ride home from emergency services was just a bit too mundane. After allegedly being denied a lift by first responders, Esquilin took matters into his own hands—by commandeering a Tampa Fire Rescue ambulance.
The escapade began around 8:40 PM, shortly after the ambulance was reported stolen from HCA South Tampa Hospital. Law enforcement, alerted to the theft, tracked down the rogue vehicle a mere ten minutes later. But instead of pulling over, Esquilin flaunted his newfound freedom, running stop signs, swerving through traffic, and even driving against oncoming vehicles. It’s a wonder he didn’t turn the entire chase into a scene from a poorly scripted action movie.
The dashcam footage, which TMZ famously acquired, captures not just the absurdity of the situation but also the logic—or lack thereof—behind Esquilin’s actions. Upon finally yielding to the law, what does our hero do? He cracks open a can of beer and downs it right in front of the officers. Because, why not add a bit more insanity to the mix? By the time he was dragged from the driver’s seat and cuffed, he had already created a memorable moment of chaos.
Esquilin now faces a laundry list of charges, including burglary and DUI, which begs the question: did he really think he’d get away with this? According to police, he had been drinking for two days prior to the incident, an impressive feat that perhaps explains his questionable judgment. One can only imagine the conversations at the local bar about this incident—if only he’d opted for a ride home instead of a joyride, he might have avoided the handcuffs altogether.
Who knew that the pursuit of a good time could lead to such a spectacular downfall? It’s a wild reminder that sometimes, the lengths we go to for a little fun can land us in quite the pickle.
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Sources: Celebrity Storm and TMZ
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Image Credit: Title: Untitled, Author: No author info, License: [‘cc_attribute’, ‘cc_nonderived’, ‘cc_publicdomain’]
