Officials on Friday said a man being escorted out of Loretto Hospital in the Austin neighborhood stole an idle Cicero ambulance, leading Chicago police on a rush hour pursuit that ended in a crash.

Security led the unidentified man out of the hospital at 645 S. Central Avenue around 4 p.m., when the man jumped into the driver’s seat and fled with a Cicero paramedic still inside, according to a statement from Cicero police.

The paramedic inside leapt from the ambulance about two blocks away, while another paramedic who was with the ambulance quickly dialed 911, officials said.

Several Chicago police vehicles trailed the ambulance for several blocks. In a statement Friday night, Chicago police said an officer discharged their firearm in the direction of the offender during the incident, b

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