Pursuit of stolen ambulance ends in crash

On Saturday, August 31, at about 10:17 p.m., Schoharie EMS responded to Main Street in the village of Cobleskill to assist a woman who was suffering from a diabetic emergency

After the patient was loaded into the ambulance, Adam C. Cole, 25, of Schenectady, told the two EMS personnel that there was a second medical emergency nearby. As the two EMS personnel got out of the ambulance, Cole got into the driver's seat and drove off.

A short time later, a Schoharie County Sheriff's Deputy spotted the ambulance traveling east on I -88 and attempted to make a traffic stop, but Cole failed to comply. State Police patrols responded and joined the pursuit. At this time, it was believed that the female patient from the original medical call was still inside the ambulance.

As the pursuit left Schoharie County, State Police patrols took the lead. The ambulance continued onto the NYS Thruway, I-890, and then entered the city of Schenectady. Cole was travelling on Eastern Avenue when he entered the intersection with Brandywine Avenue and crashed into a 1988 Nissan 300Z.

The operator of the Nissan, Jesus Espinal Jr., 24, of Utica, suffered serious injuries in the crash and was transported to Albany Medical Center where he is critical condition. Cole was the only person in the ambulance at the time of the crash and was not seriously injured. He remains in custody and multiple charges are pending. Cole also has an active arrest warrant out of the Schenectady County Sheriff's Office for Grand Larceny 3rd degree.

During the investigation it was learned that shortly after taking the ambulance, Cole pulled over on Route 7 in Cobleskill and the medical patient got out at a Speedway gas station. She was transported in a private vehicle to a hospital where she was treated and released.

The Schenectady and Rotterdam Police Departments, as well as the Schenectady Fire Department assisted with this incident.