FDNY EMS Local 2507 President Oren Barzilay says a man attempted to steal an ambulance while EMS crews were treating a patient in Tremont Tuesday night.
“They obviously had to fight him off and restrain him from driving off with an ambulance, which would have possibly resulted in a repeat of what happened to Yadira Arroyo,” said Barzilay.
Officials say that man began yelling and screaming at personnel and ultimately took off his clothes before getting in the front seat of the ambulance, with a failed attempt to take off.
Officials shared a photo with News 12 that shows the ambulance’s KDT system shattered as a result of the incident.
“After the killings of Yadira Arroyo, the department installed a safety mechanism that only our members can engage to put the vehicle in drive,” said Barzilay.
Back in 2017, EMT worker Yadira Arroyo was run over with her own vehicle twice after it had been hijacked. The man responsible, Jose Gonzalez, is now serving life in prison.
“I was transported back to the time when our Yadira was killed. And I remember saying to myself, Here we go again,” said Ali Acevedo-Hernandez after she learned about Tuesday’s incident.