Man says he took ambulance because he needed ride

[March 08, 2011]  HAZARD, Ky. (AP) -- A man in eastern Kentucky charged with stealing an ambulance says he just needed a ride home.

A Perry County ambulance crew was inside a hospital in Hazard for only a few minutes Friday night and left the keys in the ignition. WYMT-TV reports that when they came out, the vehicle was gone. City Police Sgt. Randy Napier says an off-duty Kentucky State Police detective saw the ambulance being driven erratically pulled it over. Napier says 26-year-old Shane Hale told the detective he only needed a ride home and was going to call the ambulance service the next day and report where the vehicle was. Hale was jailed on DUI and other charges. [Associated Press] Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.