Man charged with stealing fire engine in drunken crime spree
Published 1:25 pm Tuesday, May 7, 2019
A Mississippi man has been arrested after authorities say he stole a fire engine, drove it around town and damaged it by hitting a utility pole.
The Meridian Star reports 20-year-old Tommy Lee Hill of Meridian is charged with burglary, motor vehicle theft, driving without a license and driving under the influence.
Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Ward Calhoun says a fire engine was stolen early Monday from a fire station in the Bailey community outside Meridian.
Ward says Hill was arrested hours later, after a concerned citizen found him passed out behind the damaged fire engine.
County fire official Alan Dover estimates that repairs will cost about $50,000. Replacing the fire engine would cost about $257,000.
The newspaper did not report whether Hill is represented by an attorney.