VIDEO: A thief stole a $1.2 million fire truck and drove it through downtown Everett, smashing into 11 vehicles and causing widespread property damage before abandoning the vehicle. The theft occurred Friday night, July 18, while an Everett Fire Department crew was responding to a medical emergency on Hoyt Avenue. When firefighters returned to their engine, they discovered it had been stolen. “Somebody stole our fire engine and we’re trying to figure that out,” a firefighter told dispatchers. The crew said they had noticed the theft immediately after completing their call, but were unable to provide a description of the suspect.
The stolen fire truck carved a four-mile path of destruction through the north end of the city, striking parked cars, mailboxes, trees and other property. Charlie Mosiman witnessed the aftermath outside Everett’s Vintage apartments while hanging out with friends. “I just noticed that all the cars, they weren’t just wrecked. They were demolished,” Mosiman said. He recorded video of the scene, describing the incident as a “scraping, screeching loud and long event. โฆ How many lives were disrupted by this?” Among those whose lives were disrupted was John Wahleithner, whose car was destroyed in the rampage. The vehicle served as the sole form of transportation for Wahleithner and his fiancรฉe.
