Inmate firefighter steals fire truck and crashes during joyride, California officials say

An inmate firefighter stole a fire truck while responding to an incident Sunday night in Shingle Springs, officials say.

The man damaged property before eventually crashing and totaling the truck.

Around 10:50 p.m. Sunday, the Cal Fire Amador-El Dorado Unit responded to a vegetation fire in Shingle Springs. During the response, an incarcerated firefighter who was part of the firefighting crew stole a Cal Fire truck and began driving it, according to a joint news release from Cal Fire and other responding agencies.

The man took the truck on a joyride, damaging “public and private property,” according to the release. KCRA reported that the man drove the fire truck through a fence at Rack-It Truck Racks on Dividend Drive, and hit vehicles and equipment in the parking lot.

The man eventually drove the fire truck into a ditch, totaling the vehicle. He was transported to the hospital and is expected to recover fully, the news release said.

No other civilians or firefighters were injured during the incident.

The inmate is a 31-year-old male admitted from Orange County in 2015, officials said. His name is being withheld as agencies investigate the incident.

This story was originally published July 5, 2021 at 2:03 PM with the headline "Inmate firefighter steals fire truck and crashes during joyride, California officials say."