Hospital Patient Steals, Crashes Car In Braintree: Police

BRAINTREE, MA — Braintree police have filed charges against a man who signed himself out of a local hospital and stole a car before abandoning it.

Police responded to a call for a vehicle that had struck a tree near Liberty Street. The driver abandoned the vehicle with its engine still running, officials said.

"As the officers searched for the driver, they encountered a male acting suspiciously," police said. "The officers soon discovered he was the driver and was suffering from mental health issues. The subject was transported by ambulance to a local hospital for a mental health evaluation."

Neighbors also told officers that the driver had damaged their property, officials said.

The man had earlier checked himself out of a local hospital, where he took a set of keys from the valet and stole another person's car. He faces multiple charges, police said.