Fort Myers Beach woman steals ambulance from children's hospital, deputies report

Stacey Henson, Fort Myers News-Press
·2 min read
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Lee County Sheriff's Office said a transient Fort Myers Beach woman swerved across lanes, hit curbs and almost flipped a stolen ambulance before they gave up the chase early Thursday, allowing the helicopter units to track her.

Deputies say Ariel Marchan-Le Quire took the empty ambulance from Golisano Children's Hospital in Fort Myers about 3:30 a.m.

Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida annually invites local first responders to Friday Night Lights in this 2023 file photo. On Thursday, June 20, 2024, a woman stole an empty ambulance that was at the hospital, before arresting her several miles away..
Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida annually invites local first responders to Friday Night Lights in this 2023 file photo. On Thursday, June 20, 2024, a woman stole an empty ambulance that was at the hospital, before arresting her several miles away..

The ambulance was empty, with no patients inside.

Deputies tracked the ambulance through its onboard GPS system to the RaceTrac Gas Station on Summerlin Road where they confronted the driver, but she fled in the ambulance.

Multiple deputies pursued the ambulance. Marchan-Le Quire was driving recklessly. At one point, she pulled over, but then sped off, turning on the emergency lights.

At this time, deputies had the sheriff's Aviation Unit continued to follow the ambulance, cameras showing the getaway and apprehension in a minute-long video released by the sheriff.

From the helicopter, a deputy relays "At this angle, it's all over the road. And it's running red lights, it's gonna end up killing someone. It's purposely, purposely driving crazy." Another deputy said the ambulance was swerving over three lanes.

The sheriff's office said the ambulance stopped in the middle of South Tamiami Trail and Island Park Road, not quite six miles from the hospital. With their body cameras running, road patrol deputies surrounded the ambulance and demanded she get out. A deputy had to open the driver's side door and remove her, guns drawn.

Marchan-Le Quire, facedown on the ground, struggled while deputies handcuffed her.

"You could have killed somebody ma'am," a deputy tells her after demanding she cooperate.

She was charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of a crash, resisting an officer, fleeing and eluding, and theft of emergency equipment.

She is due in court on the charges on July 22 with no bond set early Friday.

Stacey Henson is the live breaking news and visuals editor for the News-Press and Naples Daily News. You may reach her at shenson@gannett.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Fort Myers Beach woman stole ambulance from children's hospital