BY DAVID FISHER
david@magicvalleypublishing.com
A Dresden man is facing multiple charges, after stealing an ambulance early Friday morning, and leading area law enforcement officers on a high speed chase across two counties.
According to Dresden Interim Police Chief Bryan R. Chandler, at approximately 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 3, Weakley County Ambulance Service Unit 506 was dispatched to 147 Lamb Road, in reference to a man who was having possible psychiatric issues.
Emergency Medical Services arrived at the house to treat the man, identified as 28-year-old Kaine Winston.
While the EMTs were speaking with Winston, he ran into a back room, broke out a window, and climbed outside. He then ran to the ambulance parked at the residence and drove off in it.
Winston began speeding west on Hwy 22, driving the ambulance through Dresden and on toward Martin.
When he reached the city limits of Martin, Winston headed south on Hwy 45, passed Westview High School, and continued driving through Sharon and Greenfield, before leaving Weakley County and entering Gibson County.
During the pursuit, the driver activated the ambulance’s emergency equipment, and was seen traveling at a high rate of speed, estimated at approximately 85 mph.
Weakley County Sheriff’s Department, Martin Police Department, and Greenfield Police Department, attempted to stop the vehicle but were unsuccessful.
Gibson County Sheriff’s deputies spotted the ambulance traveling south on Hwy 45 in the Bradford area and initiated pursuit.
Deputies got Winston to stop briefly. However, he soon put the ambulance in reverse and struck one of the deputy’s vehicles before taking off and traveling toward Milan.
When deputies got behind the ambulance again and attempted to get Winston to pull over, he drove the vehicle across the road into oncoming lanes of traffic. Fortunately, since it was around 2 a.m. in the morning, traffic was at a minimum. Once the driver did that, deputies called off the pursuit just north of Milan.
When Winston entered Milan city limits, he was followed by Milan Police Department officers. After a short pursuit inside the city, Winston pulled into the West Tennessee Healthcare Milan Hospital, and ran inside the building.
Milan Police Chief Bobby Sellers informed local news media that shortly after Winston went to the ER, he was taken into custody by Milan Police Department officers and eventually released to the Gibson County Sheriff’s Department.
Winston was then transported to the Gibson County Correctional Complex.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol investigated the crash, which occurred in Gibson County.
Dresden Police Department has charges against Winston for theft of property greater than $60,000, but less than $250,000, which is a Class B felony.
The Gibson County Sheriff’s Office is filing charges for vandalism, assault on a first responder, theft of property, evading arrest, and driving on a suspended license.
Martin and Greenfield Police Departments and the Weakley County Sheriff’s Office were also involved in the pursuit and could charge Winston as well.
The Milan Police Department is not pressing charges.
Winston is due in court for arraignment on Feb. 14, and his bond is set at $150,000.