Taken to hospital following incident in South Point

ASHLAND, Ky. — A man was charged Tuesday with the theft of a Lawrence County ambulance after he had been taken to the emergency room at King’s Daughters Hospital following an incident in South Point.

Lawrence County Sheriff Jeff Lawless said deputies responded to a call of a disturbance at the South Point Lowe’s at about 10:41 a.m., where they said they found David Andrews, 47, of Hamstead, North Carolina, wandering near U.S. Route 52.

Lawless said the deputies found Andrews to be acting suspiciously.

“He appeared not be in his right mind,” Lawless said. “They called an ambulance and he was taken to Boyd County.”

Ashland Chief of Police Todd Kelley said he was told that once Andrews arrived at King’s Daughters Medical Center, he ran out of the emergency room area, still in his hospital gown.

He said 911 call came in after witnesses saw the ambulance pull out.

Kelley said the hospital was watching the vehicle on video and relaying information to 911 and that the ambulance was two blocks away from where he was sitting in his cruiser.

He saw the vehicle pass in front of him soon after.

Kelley said Andrews saw him and pulled over and surrendered at about 1:40 p.m.

Andrews was arrested and charged with the theft of the vehicle.

“He had already committed a crime and left the hospital on his own accord,” Kelley said.

Andrews was taken to the Boyd County Detention Center.