The Eureka Times-Standard
HOOPA, Calif. — A Hoopa man who drove his car over an embankment on State Route 299 allegedly stole an ambulance when emergency workers came to help him, then led police on an hour-long chase Thursday.
Derick Gates, 20, drove a 2003 Honda Accord over the bank and collided with several trees near the Boise Creek Campground just west of Willow Creek at around 8:15 p.m., according to a California Highway Patrol report. When emergency personnel showed up, Gates refused treatment, the CHP said.
While waiting for a CHP unit, Gates allegedly hopped into the ambulance and sped eastbound. A Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office deputy who was nearby pursued the ambulance, the CHP reported.