An EMT was killed when she was run over by her own ambulance which was stolen in the Bronx on Thursday night, according to reports.
The 14-year veteran of the FDNY has been identified asYadira Arroyo, from station 26.
The EMTs were taken to Jacobi Hospital, where Arroyo, 44, died. Arroyo was the mother of five. The second EMT is being treated for “minor injuries,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a press conference on Thursday night. As the ambulance was headed to a call in Soundview just after 7 p.m., a motorist alerted the EMTs to a man riding the bumper of the ambulance. The EMTs stopped the ambulance at White Plains Road and Watson Avenue in the Morris Park section of the Bronx. When Arroyo went around to confront the 25-year-old suspect, whose name has not yet been released, he jumped into the driver’s seat, officials said. The passenger EMT was injured as she struggled with the hijacker. Arroyo circled around to the driver’s side when the suspect put the ambulance in reverse, hitting the passenger EMT and dragging Arroyounder the ambulance.
#FDNY mourns the loss of FDNY EMT Yadira Arroyo, Station 26, who was killed in the line of duty tonight while serving our city. pic.twitter.com/b3KrzGabYE
— FDNY (@FDNY) March 17, 2017
Video posted on Twitter shows the ambulance speeding with one of its doors flapping open and the body of an EMT being dragged under the vehicle until the ambulance crashes into a parked car and lodged itself in a snow bank. The smoke coming from the ambulance, as seen in the first video, is from the tires spinning, officials said.
Oh my god a ambulance lady got ran over someone hijacking the ambulance car on white plains ? pic.twitter.com/ToSiPvfsxJ
— SwavyJayBeats (@therealswavyjay) March 16, 2017
Part 2 pic.twitter.com/BwGTdlNWkq
— SwavyJayBeats (@therealswavyjay) March 16, 2017
Officer McCabe, from the MTA K-9 Unit, happened upon the scene while on duty, de Blasio said. He, along with three or four “good Samaritans,” tackled the suspect, who was taken into police custody.
The investigation is ongoing and the motive is yet unknown, NYPD Deputy Chief Jason Wilcox said. The suspect “has a criminal past,” Wicox added.
De Blasio and Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro thanked the “good Samaritans” for their help.
#BREAKING: on scene where cops say 2 @FDNY EMTs were carjacke, run over w/ own ambulance. Conditions unknown. Suspect in custody #abc7ny pic.twitter.com/JwTbSVm5Yp
— Josh Einiger (@JoshEiniger7) March 17, 2017
@NYCmayor is en route to Jacobi Hospital in the Bronx after a fatal incident involving two @FDNY EMTs.
— NYC Mayor’s Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) March 17, 2017
BREAKING: @NYCMayor arriving at #JacobiHospital after 1 EMT killed another in critical, run over by ambulance @PIX11News pic.twitter.com/BrB1ihL9nz
— Ayana Harry PIX11 (@AyanaHarry) March 17, 2017
On scene now at Jacobi Medical Center with @NYCMayor to get updates on two @FDNY EMTs injured while serving our city. pic.twitter.com/bbMycxv2OA
— NYC Mayor’s Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) March 17, 2017
The article was originally published on March 16 at 9:29 p.m.