VISALIA, Calif. -- Just before midnight on April 5, members of the Visalia Fire Department on a medical aid call returned to the spot where they parked their engine, only to find it gone.
Battalion Chief Kevin Gildea said the crew immediately called the police department and that within 12 minutes the engine was located.
A 16-year-old -- suspected of being under the influence of alcohol -- was found behind the wheel, several miles away from the medical call.
"I've never seen anything like this before," Gildea said. "It's very rare."
He said the teen failed to release the parking brake, which caused damage to the wheels, tires and other parts of the fire truck. The teen also sideswiped a pole, which caused some minor body damage.
The cost of the damages is not yet known.
"We haven't overreacted or anything to the incident, but we are concerned," Gildea said. "We'll probably review how we currently park our engines."
