Smithtown prisoner facing new charges after hospital escape, ambulance joyride

SMITHTOWN, N.Y. (WABC) -- A female prisoner who escaped police custody at St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown and took a private ambulance on a joyride is now facing new charges in connection with the incident.

Police are still trying to figure out how Melina Silsbe, who was awaiting treatment, managed to escape and jump into the running private ambulance in the ER parking lot Thursday evening.

Authorities contacted the ambulance company, which had a GPS tracker on the vehicle.

Silsbe, 24, was located about a mile from the hospital on the Sunken Meadow Parkway, just before the Northern State Parkway off ramp.

She lost control of ambulance and crashed into a car, injuring herself and the driver of the other vehicle.

Both suffered non-life threatening injuries and were taken to an area hospital.

Silsbe had been arrested on October 7 for numerous misdemeanor warrants and a felony warrant and was brought to the Fourth Precinct. A short time later, she was transported to St. Catherine of Siena for an undisclosed medical condition which required a police officer to be assigned to guard her.

In addition to the charges from her arrest on October 7, Silsbe is also charged with second-degree escape, grand larceny, criminal mischief, reckless driving, reckless endangerment and unlawful fleeing from a police officer.