Woman faces charges for Hilton Head ambulance joyride, no arrest yet for theft
A woman who allegedly stole a private ambulance from outside Hilton Head Island’s hospital faces charges related to the joyride, but has not yet been arrested for the vehicle theft.
The suspect, a 30-year-old Hilton Head resident, was charged by the South Carolina Highway Patrol last week with reckless driving, driving under suspension and failure to give information and render aid after a traffic accident, according to court records. All three are misdemeanors.
She had not yet been transported to the Beaufort County jail for the felony charge stemming from the ambulance theft, grand larceny, as she was still a patient at Novant Health Hilton Head Medical Center, according to Lt. Daniel Allen, a spokesperson for the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
The MedTrust ambulance was stolen around 5:30 p.m. Dec. 2 while parked outside the hospital’s emergency room. Deputies used spike strips to stop the vehicle about 10 minutes later on Squire Pope Road after an approximately 5-mile joyride.
A MedTrust employee told police he had left the unlocked ambulance outside the emergency department’s entrance with the keys in the ignition as he took a patient inside. A senior director for the company said MedTrust wished to pursue charges against Miller for the theft of the vehicle, which including its contents was valued at about $70,000.
The suspect had been brought to the hospital by her family for an evaluation, according to a BCSO incident report.
As she was walked out of the facility after her discharge, a witness overheard the woman asking how she would get home. Shortly after, she was seen climbing into the ambulance and driving off.
A Beaufort County police sergeant initially attempted a traffic stop on the ambulance on U.S. 278 but stopped due to traffic conditions and the vehicle’s “erratic driving,” the report says.
The ambulance turned onto Gumtree Road and, after striking a vehicle in the area, turned again onto Squire Pope Road and headed south. A deputy positioned about a mile down the street briefly stopped traffic and successfully stopped the stolen vehicle with a tire deflation device. Police returned the woman to the hospital for an evaluation, according to the police report.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating the hit-and-run while Beaufort County deputies handle the theft case.
The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette do not typically name individuals charged with misdemeanor offenses unless they are in a position of public trust or there is a compelling reason to do so.
This story was originally published December 10, 2025 at 1:00 PM.
