Yadira Arroyo, NYC Paramedic, Killed By Man Driving Stolen Ambulance, Police Say

NEW YORK, NY — An emergency medical technician was killed on Thursday after a man stole her ambulance and struck her with it, according to police.

Yadira Arroyo, 44, died in the Bronx on Thursday while on-duty as an EMT for the city's fire department. The department identified Arroyo in a tweet early on Friday morning. Arroyo's partner, who has not yet been identified, suffered minor injuries during the incident, police said.

The city's fire department honored her during Friday's St. Patrick's Day parade:

Arroyo and her partner were responding to an unrelated call in Soundview when a passing driver told them a man, later identified as Jose Gonzalez, was riding on the back bumper of their ambulance, NYPD Deputy Chief Jason Wilcox said at a media briefing on Thursday night. Arroyo, who was driving the ambulance, stopped the vehicle near the intersection of White Plains Road and Watson Avenue in the Bronx at about 7 p.m., police said. When Arroyo went to confront Gonzalez, he went around her and got in the driver's seat of the ambulance, Wilcox said. Arroyo's partner was injured as she struggled with Gonzalez inside the ambulance before the man allegedly reversed the vehicle, running over Arroyo and killing her, according to police.

Both women were transported to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx. NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, who briefed the media with Wilcox and Fire Commissioner Dan Nigro at the hospital after the collision, said Arroyo's partner "suffered minor injuries."

Arroyo was a mother of five and a 14-year veteran of the fire department, de Blasio said.

Gonzalez was stopped by an on-duty MTA police officer who by "pure happenstance" was driving by as the collision occurred, de Blasio said. After the man struck Arroyo, he reportedly drove the ambulance forward and struck a parked car before getting stuck in a snowbank, police said. The officer was able to "bring down and tackle the suspect" with the help of civilians, Wilcox said. Gonzalez, 25, is in custody, and has been charged with murder. Police alleged that Gonzalez was high at the time of the incident.

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This post has been updated throughout Thursday night and Friday morning with additional information.

Lead image via the NYPD on Twitter.