Ambulance Breaks Down Transporting Carjacking Suspect

A D.C. ambulance transporting a gunshot victim to a hospital broke down on 295 while paramedics were performing CPR.

A second ambulance was called, and the victim -- a suspect in a carjacking -- was transferred to a working vehicle within five to seven minutes, Fire and EMS officials said.

Nathaniel McRae, 34, was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The delay did not contribute to McRae's death, said D.C. Fire spokesperson.

McRae was shot by police when he got out of a vehicle on Barnaby Street SE. A police officer also was injured during that incident but is expected to be OK.

The ambulance that broke down was a new vehicle with an automated shut-down mechanism that that tells the driver to turn off the engine after multiple hours of continued use.

D.C. Fire and EMS has come under fire in recent months over ambulance and staffiing issues.

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