WATCH ABOVE: An AHS employee was struck by his work truck as he tried to stop a woman from stealing it. Lisa Wolansky reports.
EDMONTON – An Alberta Health Services truck was stolen near the Stollery Children’s Hospital at 8:45 Thursday morning.
Police said it appears a woman stole the truck and started to drive away when the owner of the vehicle grabbed onto it.
“There was a truck that was pulling away and the gentleman was trying to make it to the truck,” said witness Ken Buhagiar. “He was struck by the vehicle and then as it drove away he was trying to get back into the truck – essentially hung on to the side of it, was dragged all the way from the Stollery entrance all the way to here by the Butterdome.”
The man – who was an AHS maintenance worker – was dragged almost three blocks before he fell off at 116 Street and 87 Avenue.
Investigators said the man was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
“It’s my understanding form the witnesses that, at some point, he fell off the side of the vehicle while it was in motion,” said Acting Sgt. Jeff Strickland.
“So, he’s obviously got some road rash injuries and he’s being treated at the University of Alberta hospital.”
It’s expected the man will be released from the hospital later Thursday.
“AHS can confirm that an employee was injured in an incident near the University of Alberta Hospital this morning,” the group said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with the staff member at this time as they recuperate from their injuries, which do not appear to be serious. AHS is investigating this incident, and we are working with Edmonton Police Service.”
Police located the grey Dodge Ram 1500 with AHS stickers on the doors later Thursday morning. It was abandoned in an alley near 84 Avenue and 110 Street. Officers said a citizen saw Global News’ coverage, spotted the truck, and called police.
Police are looking for the woman who took the truck and describe her as a blond female wearing her hair in a pony tail.
Buhagiar didn’t get a good look at the driver.
“The gentleman that was struck was wearing high-visibility clothing and your eye naturally gravitates towards that,” he explained. “When you see somebody who’s going to be struck by a vehicle you tend to be staring at the person who’s going to be hit hoping they’re going to be OK.”
Edmonton Transit Services may have camera footage of the incident and police are still gathering details from the owner of the truck.
“If anyone has any information or they witnessed anything here today, we’d ask that they please call Edmonton Police Service or Alberta Crime Stoppers,” said Strickland.
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