Florida man tries to steal medical helicopter waiting to transport patients after I-75 crash: FHP
Riley Ferrer is accused of trying to steal a medical helicopter following a vehicle crash on I-75. Mugshot is courtesy of the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.
BROOKSVILLE, Fla. - A Florida man who claimed he saw the anti-Christ moments before troopers say he lost control of his pickup truck and crashed into another vehicle on I-75 in Hernando County is accused of trying to steal a medical helicopter that landed at the scene to take patients to an area hospital.
Hernando County highway collision
What we know:
A driver identified as Riley Ferrer was traveling northbound on I-75 shortly after midnight on Friday when he lost control of his pickup truck.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the truck veered off the road, struck another vehicle and overturned into the woods.
Two people inside the second vehicle suffered serious injuries in the crash. The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office shut down the northbound lanes so a BayFlight helicopter could land to transport the patients.
Medical helicopter security breach
What they're saying:
Troopers said that while fire rescue crews prepared the two patients for the helicopter, Ferrer ran past all first responders at the scene.
According to FHP, he then tried to steal the medical helicopter but was not successful.
Ferrer told officials that he saw the anti-Christ moments before he lost control of his pickup truck and crashed.
Hospital escort and jail booking
The backstory:
Troopers placed Ferrer into a patrol vehicle and took him to Tampa General Hospital Brooksville for medical clearance. They said Ferrer refused to walk into the building and had to be physically escorted inside by law enforcement personnel.
Once inside the hospital, Ferrer refused to stay seated, prompting troopers to force him to sit down until local sheriff's deputies arrived, according to FHP.
After being medically cleared, he was taken to the Hernando County Detention Center, where officials said he continued to resist detention deputies.
Criminal counts and bond status
By the numbers:
Ferrer faces three counts of resisting without violence and one count of burglary of an occupied conveyance. Jail records show he was issued a $3,000 bond for the resisting charges, but he is being held with no bond for the burglary charge.
Ongoing emergency response questions
What we don't know:
Authorities have not yet confirmed the current medical conditions of the two injured passengers who were flown from the highway.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Florida Highway Patrol, which detailed the crash dynamics and helicopter incident, as well as the Hernando County Sheriff's Office, which assisted with the highway closure and booking process.