AUSTIN, Texas — Questions remain Friday morning after a stolen Fort Worth Fire/EMS ambulance led law enforcement on a chase that ended with a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper fatally shooting the driver on Interstate 35 in Austin.
The Texas Rangers are investigating the shooting, which happened Thursday after a pursuit that began in Williamson County and continued into Central Austin.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Trooper fatally shoots driver of stolen Fort Worth ambulance after I-35 chase
Among the questions CBS Austin is working to answer:
- Who was the driver?
- How was the ambulance stolen?
- What happened in the moments before the trooper fired the fatal shot?
DPS said troopers were notified around 6:30 a.m. Thursday that a stolen Fort Worth Fire/EMS ambulance was traveling south on I-35 through Williamson County.
Troopers located the ambulance and attempted to make a traffic stop, but DPS Sgt. Jason Galaviz said the driver refused to stop.
“DPS troopers located the ambulance and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. When troopers activated their emergency lights, the driver refused to stop and began actively evading law enforcement,” Galaviz said.
The pursuit continued south into Austin.
DPS said that as the ambulance approached the U.S. 290 area, the driver began intentionally ramming civilian vehicles.
“As the ambulance continued southbound on Interstate 35 around U.S. 290 area in Austin, the driver began intentionally ramming multiple civilian vehicles,” Galaviz said. “Troopers did attempt to PIT the ambulance, but those attempts were unsuccessful.”
DPS said the ambulance continued ramming vehicles as it traveled onto the southbound upper deck of I-35.
A DPS trooper then fired their gun, striking the driver. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
The pursuit ended on the southbound upper deck of I-35 near East 41st Street in Central Austin.
The driver’s identity had not been released as of Friday morning.
The Texas Rangers are investigating the trooper-involved shooting. DPS has said the information released so far is preliminary and could change as investigators gather and verify additional details.
Some of you on social media also raised several questions about the incident, including:
- How did a Fort Worth ambulance end up in Williamson County, and how was it stolen?
- How did the driver make it from Fort Worth to the Austin area without being stopped sooner?
- How exactly did the trooper stop the driver while the ambulance was moving?
- If the ambulance was ramming other vehicles, what options did those drivers have to protect themselves?
- Why did troopers attempt a PIT maneuver on such a large vehicle on the highway, and what risks did that pose to other drivers?
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