Stolen FL Pumper in Hours-Long Police Chase

May 19, 2023
Police took a man into custody after they chased the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue pumper for over two hours through three counties.

By: Jeff Kleinman

Source: Miami Herald

A Miami-Dade fire truck heading north on the highway wasn’t heading to an emergency.

It was the emergency.

Police say the yellow truck was stolen around 6:30 p.m. Thursday from a training exercise at Northeast 166th Street and Seventh Avenue in North Miami Beach.

The driver hit a parked Opa-locka police car about two miles away, police said, before heading north on Interstate 95. That’s where officers spotted the fire truck and pursued.

The truck then went onto Florida’s Turnpike and continued north through Broward and into Palm Beach County.

Finally, after three counties and several hours, the pursuit ended after 9 p.m., without injury or any crashes.

The chase ended on the side of the turnpike near Boynton Beach Boulevard. Aljenard Lekambrick, 31, was arrested, according to Miami-Dade police.

“The truck was stopped in Palm Beach County on the turnpike and mile marker 86, where the subject was taken into custody by BSO officers without incident,” Miami-Dade police spokesman Det. Argemis Colome said.

________

©2023 Miami Herald.

Visit miamiherald.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.