Tennessee Woman Steals Police Car, Crashes It Off Bridge

A Tennessee woman has been charged with theft for stealing a police SUV from the scene of a house fire and crashing it off a bridge.

The incident happened Tuesday morning after police responded to calls about a house fire in Wax Wing Circle, reported New York Daily News.

Upon arrival, the police found the homeowner, 64-year-old Janet Givens, outside. She was shivering, upset and unintelligible. According to Cheatham County Sheriff's Department investigator Ken Miller, the safety officers asked the woman if anyone was inside, to which the woman answered, "Yes, my baby!"

Officers then placed the woman inside the police car to keep her warm as they began planning a rescue. That's when Givens got in the driver's seat of the patrol car and drove off.

Dashcam in officer Nate Palazzi's car shows the woman losing control of the car while crossing an icy overpass. Officers said the car was moving at 30 miles per hour when it hit black ice, lost control and crashed through the bridge's barrier, plunging 30 feet. The vehicle crashed and rolled into the Eastbound lanes of I-40.

The SUV was then seen with its front end smashed, airbags deployed and the glass shattered. Although her injuries were not life-threatening, Givens was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where she underwent surgery. She was taken to Cheatham County Jail afterward, where she was charged with at least one count of theft.

Meanwhile, the police are still investigating the fire, which they said might have been set intentionally. Considering the intensity of the fire and to ensure nobody was trapped inside, the Cheatham County Investigators called bomb and arson experts from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to the scene. A trained dog was employed to go through the charred debris. However, no traces of a body were found.

According to Kingston Springs Police, they have responded to the Givens' home multiple times in the past. A neighbor said there had been frequent disturbances at the Givens residence.

"The first thing I heard was a huge boom. I look out the window. Flames are shooting out the top of the roof. And before that, I hear what sounds like gunshots. And then I look out the window and Janet is yelling and screaming and they put her in the police cruiser and it takes off down the road followed closely by Kingston Springs Police. Like I said. I am not surprised by anything that happens over here anymore," the neighbor said.