On Saturday, August 24, 2025, the streets of Saint-Louis were the scene of a car chase worthy of an action movie. A man was arrested by officers from the central police station after stealing a SAMU ambulance and attempting to outrun the police in a spectacular escape that ended up against a wall.

A theft reported by a vigilant citizen

It was a citizen who alerted the authorities to the theft of an ambulance from the Emergency Medical Assistance Service (SAMU). The vehicle had been spotted heading towards Gaston Berger University (UGB), information that allowed the men of Chief Superintendent Mamadou L. Diallo to strategically position themselves on the suspect's route, at a key intersection. They quickly identified the stolen vehicle and attempted to intercept it. It was at this point that the situation turned sensational.

A dangerous and desperate escape

Faced with police orders, the driver initially slowed down, giving the impression he was about to stop. But in an unpredictable and particularly dangerous move, he suddenly accelerated and drove toward the officers. One of the officers, displaying remarkable courage, attempted a perilous maneuver by opening the door of the speeding vehicle in an attempt to grab the steering wheel and neutralize the fleeing driver. But the fleeing driver forced his way through, forcing the officer to let go to avoid being dragged by the vehicle.

The chase came to an abrupt end when the stolen ambulance crashed into a wall, resulting in the suspect being arrested.

A desperate act according to the suspect's explanations

The man was taken into custody and admitted the facts. His explanations reveal that the act was committed in a moment of desperation rather than out of organized criminal intent.

According to his statements to investigators, he was traveling from Kanel to Joal when his driver abandoned him at the Saint-Louis bus station. Finding himself alone, lost, and without the financial resources to continue his journey, he saw the SAMU ambulance, driverless and with the engine running.

Bitten by who knows what fly, he took the wheel of the vehicle, without measuring the serious consequences of his action on public service and the safety of citizens.

He is being prosecuted for theft of a state vehicle, constituting an attack on public property, destruction of public property following the accident, refusal to comply with orders from the police, and endangering the lives of others, including the police officers he attempted to hit.