EXCLUSIVE: Restaurant workers connected to stolen ambulance speak
COBLESKILL, N.Y. (NEWS10) — NEWS10's Zion Decoteau spoke to two employees from the Pizza Shack on Main Street in Cobleskill. They gave a harrowing account of what happened on Saturday night when Adam Cole was accused of stealing an ambulance and leading police on a chase that ended in a crash in Schenectady.
A face to the name. The Schenectady County jail provided NEWS10 with the mugshot of Adam Cole, the alleged thief. But the Schoharie County District Attorney says Cole’s night began with him attempting to steal a car — which NEWS10 learned belonged to Pizza Shack cook Robert Bradt. Bradt now wants others to be aware of their surroundings.
"I was sitting in my car shortly after I left work and…This guy came up to the car and asked me for a ride and, I politely told him no!" said Bradt.
That’s when Bradt says Cole became aggressive. “He proceeded to punch me in the face several times and he ended up leaving and I was trying to gather myself and he ended up coming back he opened the door and started punching me again,” said Bradt. Thinking of others he says he was glad it wasn't an older or female employee being assaulted.
Cole’s alleged wild night continued with him attempting to steal a Schoharie EMS ambulance. Pizza Shack dishwasher Mel Nirschl says his girlfriend — who is requesting anonymity — was inside that ambulance for a diabetic emergency. He says Cole ran toward the ambulance crew and told them: “There was something going on with his father” Nirshl recalled. He says the ambulance crew got out to see what was happening. “... [Cole] got in the driver's seat and he took off with the ambulance [my girlfriend] in the back” Nirshl detailed.
He says his bad ankle and joint pain which relegates him to a cane prevented him from intervening.
“[My girlfriend] in the back had to beg the guy to let her out of the ambulance" Nirshl remembered. “When he was taking off with that ambulance he was doing a hundred okay, her in the back was like freaked out about it” he continued.
Nirshl's girlfriend's alegged terrifying ambulance trip ended at a speedway gas station on Route 7 in Cobleskill. He says his girlfriend was most likely thrown out of the vehicle.“I'm happy that she is safe but I don't want this to happen again. I mean this time around if someone wants to be that crazy and I'm here and I like I said my ankle I don't care this time" said Nirshl.
Again, the ambulance chase ended with Cole allegedly crashing into another driver in Schenectady who is hospitalized in critical condition. Cole is being held in the Schenectady County jail. He is due back in Schenectady City court on Friday afternoon. The Schoharie County District Attorney says Cole will also be facing charges from her office.