Driver of stolen Fort Worth ambulance killed by DPS trooper in Austin after ramming vehicles on I-35

A driver was shot and killed by a Texas state trooper Thursday morning after stealing a Fort Worth ambulance and intentionally ramming other vehicles during a pursuit on Interstate 35 in Austin, authorities said.

The Texas Rangers are investigating the shooting. The suspect’s identity has not been released.

The Fort Worth Fire Department confirmed one of its ambulances was taken overnight from Station 4 on Old Mansfield Road. A Fort Worth police report shows the ambulance was stolen sometime between 1:40 and 6 a.m.

State troopers were notified around 6:30 a.m. that the stolen ambulance was traveling southbound on I-35 in Williamson County, the Texas Department of Public Safety said in a media briefing. When troopers tried to make a traffic stop, the driver refused and began evading law enforcement, officials said.

As the ambulance continued south, the driver started ramming multiple civilian vehicles, according to DPS.

“Troopers did attempt to PIT the ambulance, but those attempts were unsuccessful,” DPS Sgt. Jason Galaviz said. “The ambulance continued to ram vehicles as it began to travel onto the upper deck of Interstate 35. A DPS trooper then discharged their duty firearm, striking the suspect.”

The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.

The shooting shut down a large portion of the southbound lanes of I-35 between U.S. Highway 183 and downtown Austin, according to KVUE, WFAA’s sister station in Austin. Officials said the upper deck will remain closed while the investigation continues.

For most drivers stuck in the backup, the reason was invisible — an ambulance stopped in the middle of the upper deck, and no explanation.

“That’s crazy,” Austin resident Mafata Camara told KVUE. “Imagine people that have to go to work. Now they got to call out or go late.”

As word spread, the reaction shifted from frustration to something closer to disbelief.

“I think this is just a really weird and now tragic situation,” Austin resident Amann Islam said.

Fort Worth to Austin is roughly a three-hour drive. Stefan Sanders, another Austin resident, said what stuck with him was how far the ambulance made it before anyone stopped it.

“The driver came a long way in this stolen ambulance, and how they got that far is pretty astounding,” Sanders said.

He said the outcome could have been far worse.

“It could have been way, way worse. I mean, they got from Fort Worth to here,” Sanders said. “Had they not been stopped, who knows how much more damage would have been caused?”