4/16/21 Henry County, VA – Man Crashes – Unconscious – In Henry County Ambulance – Narcan Administered – Man Became Combative – Steals Ambulance – 120 MPH Chase – Wrong Side Of Highway – Spike Strips – Wrecked

April 16, 2021

www.wsls.com

A man is in custody after stealing an ambulance, leading to a pursuit over county lines Friday morning.

At about 11:12 a.m., Henry County Sheriff Lane Perry said deputies were responding to a crash in Bassett involving a stolen vehicle. Deputies found the suspect injured and unconscious, leading them to place him in an ambulance for treatment.

Authorities said he was administered Naloxone. When he woke up, the Sheriff’s Office said he became combative with those inside the ambulance and was able to gain control of the medical vehicle, leading to a high-speed pursuit.

According to authorities, the pursuit, which lasted for about 52 minutes, had the suspect driving at speeds up to 120 mph. He was driving the ambulance on the wrong side of the highway on Route 220 at some point in the chase. Authorities also said he hit a Patrick County Sheriff’s vehicle and intentionally tried to hit other law enforcement vehicles.

The Henry County Sheriff’s Office called on the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office and Virginia State Police to assist in the pursuit and to be on the lookout for their suspect. Agencies were able to deploy spike strips on the ambulance, causing it to crash into a field in the 3600 block of County Line Road in Patrick County.

The man who stole the ambulance, 50-year-old Derrick Devon Martin, ran away after the crash but was detained after K9 units were able to locate him.

The Patrick County Sheriff’s Office said Martin is being held in the Henry County Jail.

Virginia State Police is handling investigation on the crash as well as the pursuit, and will be charging Martin will multiple felony and misdemeanor charges, according to Patrick County.