Florida Man Steals Ambulance, Leads Police On High-Speed Chase & Refuses To Exit Vehicle Before Finishing His Beer

This Florida Man story has EVERYTHING.

For years (maybe even centuries?), the Florida Man has been wreaking havoc, doing crazy things, and generating absurd headlines. To be clear, it’s not just one man that is known as the Florida Man. It’s instead more of an idea, or a culture if you will, that select, deranged Floridians possess.

In case you aren’t following, allow me to direct you to some examples that we’ve covered here at Whiskey Riff of “Sunshine State” residents doing things that only seem to happen in the state that’s become known as America’s appendage:

-Florida Man Jumping Out of the Water To Scare A Resting Alligator

-Florida Man Arrested For Shooting Down Walmart Delivery Drone

-Florida Man Uses Python To Play Tug-Of-War With Crocodile

-Florida Man Plans To Ride Out Category 5 Hurricane In 20-Foot Sailboat

And let me tell you, that’s really just scratching the surface of Florida Man stories. They are a dime-a-dozen, and somehow, there’s always a steady stream of Florida Man (and Florida Woman) stories coming out of the southern state. This one that we’re focusing in on with this story is certainly a wild one… per usual with these Florida anecdotes.

Officials from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office are reporting that a man was upset he wasn’t given a free ride home from the hospital, so the Florida man decided he’d make his own way. What do I mean by that? He found a form of transportation that is often parked at hospitals – an ambulance – and put it into drive.

A high-speed police chase ensued.

Florida Highway Patrol were called to the HCA South Tampa Hospital after 43-year-old Michael Esquilin had stolen a Tampa Fire Rescue ambulance. Troopers responded to the area, and within 10 minutes, they set their sights on the stolen ambulance. They tried to pull him over, but the Florida man had other plans.

Without ever turning on the ambulance’s lights and sirens (seems like that could have been helpful), Esquilin barreled through stop signs and even drove the wrong way down a street. Eventually, the Florida police officers were able to bring the ambulance to a halt, but the drama didn’t end there.

The Florida Man locked himself inside the emergency vehicle, and at some point in the proceedings of the night, Esquilin had found a beer. Troopers finally got into the ambulance, but the Florida Man didn’t surrender. He insisted that he finish his beer, and chugged the rest of it (and held onto the steering wheel) as troopers vigorously attempted to pull him out.

Esquilin allegedly said that he had been drinking for a couple of days and stole the ambulance because no one would give him a ride him a ride home from a hospital. Not much of a defense there if you ask me. Now, the Florida Man faces charges of burglary, grand theft, fleeing and eluding, a DUI and driving without a license. Maybe next time he’ll opt for an Uber rather than stealing an ambulance?

Typical Florida man energy…