Homeless man enters fire engine, causes it to crash, officials say

ATLANTA - Officials said a homeless man stole a fire engine and caused it to crash into another vehicle in a northwest Atlanta neighborhood on Saturday afternoon.

A spokesperson for the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department said the man entered what is called a paramedic engine while emergency crew were responding to a call of a gas leak English Avenue neighborhood.

While city officials initially indicated the man had attempted to steal the vehicle, police later clarified that the man only disengaged the fire engine's brake just before 4:20 p.m. causing it to roll backwards and crash into a parked car in the 700 block of Neal Street near Griffin Street.

An Atlanta fire engine crashed into a parked car after officials say a homeless man disengaged the brake on Feb. 19, 2022. (FOX 5)

Firefighters said the accident was minor and there were no injuries. There was minimal damage to the fire department’s vehicle.

Officials said after the crash, the man got out of the vehicle and walked westbound on Neal Street.

The Atlanta Police Department is investigating the crash and the theft. Police spent the afternoon searching the area for the suspect.

One person was taken into custody. Their name and charges have not been released.

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