History Of Arrests Preceded Suspect's Hit-And-Runs Across Arlington

ARLINGTON, VA — The suspect who crashed a stolen truck and ambulance into nearly two dozen vehicles in Arlington and Washington, D.C., on Saturday has a history of arrests, including at least one other stolen vehicle charge, according to reports.

Police officials said Darell Caldwell, 30, of Brandywine, Maryland stole the truck that he used to crash into multiple vehicles from a construction site in Falls Church. Caldwell also stole an Arlington County ambulance on the George Washington Memorial Parkway on Saturday and then rammed it into several vehicles before driving it across the 14th Street Bridge into D.C.

Police estimate Caldwell crashed into at least 21 vehicles during Saturday's mayhem. Reporter Dave Statter of STATter911 posted several videos that he collected showing the truck crashing into vehicles on Interstate 66 and Interstate 395 and other areas of Arlington. He also posted video of police chasing the stolen ambulance.

"Most of what I do shows people doing stupid things in traffic. This is a little more than stupid," Statter told NBC4. "This seems to be almost a willful act of somebody barreling through and crashing into these cars in a couple different spots, and then doing the same thing with the ambulance they stole."

Among his previous charges, Caldwell is accused of stealing a Cadillac Escalade from a home in Northeast D.C. and then ramming into two cars while trying to get away, WJLA reported Monday. The police incident report said a relative detained Caldwell before D.C. police arrived at the scene.

After stealing the Cadillac Escalade in April, Caldwell was released from jail on a personal recognizance bond two days later, WJLA reported.

READ ALSO: MD Man Steals Truck, Crashes Arlington Ambulance Into 13 Vehicles

The Maryland man also had a criminal record in Arlington prior to Saturday’s incidents. He was seen walking in the middle of N. Glebe Road shortly before midnight on May 25 and then tried to run from police. Caldwell was charged with drunk in public, disorderly conduct and possession of a controlled substance, according to the Arlington County police report.

Caldwell was out on bond from the Arlington case but became a fugitive after not showing up to a July court hearing, ARLnow reported.

Along with Arlington and D.C., Caldwell has a criminal record in Fairfax County and Prince George’s County, Maryland, according to ARLnow.

For Saturday's trail of destruction, Caldwell has been charged by both federal and local law enforcement. Virginia State Police also charged Caldwell with 16 counts of felony hit-and-run, as well as one count of felony eluding police.

The crashes sent at least seven people to the hospital, including Caldwell, who was being evaluated. None of the injuries from the crashes were reported as serious, according to police.