Adam Cole, the 25-year-old man eyewitnesses said stole a Schoharie County EMS ambulance off Main Street, Cobleskill after a bar fight Saturday, then crashed it in Schenectady following a bizarre series of events, is being held in Schenectady County Jail on a long string of charges including first-degree assault and reckless endangerment.
Mr. Cole was jailed without bail and is due back in Schenectady City Court Friday.
After that, he’ll be extradited to Schoharie County to be arraigned on additional charges—including the attempted theft of another vehicle--before being sent back to Schenectady County.
Jesus Espinal, 24, of Utica, was listed in critical condition after the crash.
It was his car Troopers said Mr. Cole crashed into at the intersection of Eastern and Brandywine Avenues in Schenectady.
The force of the collision sent the flipped ambulance skidding for a block, witnesses said.
Mr. Cole allegedly stole a car to get to Cobleskill and was looking for another to get back home, settling on the county ambulance in an incident that began at about 10:17pm on Main Street at Division Street.
According to State Police, it began when County EMS responded to a call for a woman suffering a diabetic emergency on Main Street.
Once the woman was loaded into the ambulance, Troopers said Mr. Cole told the two EMS responders that there was another emergency nearby, telling them his father needed their help; after they got out, they said he fled in the ambulance, striking one of the EMS responders with the ambulance.
A Schoharie County Sheriff’s Deputy spotted the stolen ambulance traveling east on I-88.
Troopers said the deputy attempted a traffic stop, but Mr. Cole refused to comply.
State Police then joined the pursuit and took the lead as the ambulance fled Schoharie County.
According to Troopers, Mr. Cole entered Schenectady from the Thruway and was traveling on Eastern Avenue when he crashed into Mr. Espinal’s car, a 1988 Nissan 300Z at the intersection of Eastern and Brandywine Avenues.
At the time, Troopers believed the woman from the Main Street, Cobleskill call was still in the ambulance, but after the crash, learned Mr. Cole had dropped her off at the Route 7 Speedway in Cobleskill shortly after fleeing.
The woman was transported in a private vehicle to a hospital where she was treated and released.
Mr. Cole was not seriously injured in the crash, Troopers said.
He has been charged with first-degree assault, criminal possession of stolen property totaling over $50,000, first-degree reckless endangerment and operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs, with additional charges pending.
Troopers said Mr. Cole also has an active warrant for arrest for third-degree larceny charges out of the Schenectady County Sheriff’s Office.