A 32-year-old man is facing charges for leading police on a low-speed chase across Oberlin in a stolen ambulance, claiming there was a "hit" out on him and he needed to run for his life.
Michael D. Zunk was charged with operating a vehicle without a valid license, failure to comply with a police order and receiving stolen property.
Everything started on June 29 when Oberlin police were notified by Physicians Ambulance Service about a stolen vehicle from Mercy Regional Medical Center in Lorain. According to a police report, authorities were able to track the ambulance with GPS.
Police said they located the missing vehicle and gave chase. Zunk allegedly held up a finger out of the driver's side window and signed "wait a minute," and then gave a thumbs up to the pursuing officer. Additional cruisers from Oberlin and the Ohio State Highway Patrol joined in the pursuit. The speed of the pursuit was between 30 to 35 mph, according to the police report.
Authorities tried using stop-sticks on the ambulance, but Zunk swerved around them into oncoming traffic, police said. Eventually, Zunk pulled over and was taken into custody. According to police, Zunk told officers he had been at the emergency room with his girlfriend when he learned about "a hit out on him," and had to immediately get out of the area.
Zunk is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 10.
