Massachusettes, USA — Police arrest two men for allegedly stealing a wheelchair van from MelroseWakefield Hospital Thursday morning.
Daniel Walsh, 22, and Nicholas Burke, 23, took the van on a wild joy ride. Officers tried to pull the van over in Peabody, but its drivers refused to stop. Later, both suspects crashed into a parked car in Lynn.
Fortunately, the van was not carrying any medical equipment or medication at the time of its disappearance. No patients were aboard the “chair car” when it was stolen, police said.
Moreover, the incident began when the van owned by Armstrong Ambulance arrived to pick up a patient at the emergency department around 6:30 a.m., just as Burke was exiting the building.
Hospital surveillance footage shows Burke closing the rear doors of the unattended wheelchair van before getting in the driver’s seat.
Furthermore, Burke also dropped a bag containing a white powdery substance on the floor as he was leaving the hospital. Police believe the substance to be narcotics.
Both suspects were arrested and taken to the State Police Danvers barracks for booking.
According to police, the pair also shoplifted around 9:20a.m. from Khol’s department store in Saugus. Police recovered hundreds of dollars worth of men’s clothing from the vehicle. The pair allegedly used the van as a getaway vehicle.
Both Walsh and Burke are facing multiple charges including larceny, shoplifting, and operating with a suspended license.
The incident remains under investigation.
