A 29-year-old St. Albert man is facing a handful of charges after allegedly stealing an ambulance in Edmonton and taking it for a wild ride to Jasper.

Cops said a man swiped the emergency vehicle while paramedics were responding to a call near 101 Avenue and 113 Street around 6 p.m. Sunday.

Shortly after, with the help of the ambulance's on-board global positioning system, Edmonton cops caught up with the ambulance near 151 Street and Yellowhead Trail.

During the pursuit that ensued on Highway 16, police said they tried several methods -- including deploying spike belts and talking to the man on the ambulance's radio -- to get him to pull over.

None worked.

Around 7:30 p.m., Edmonton Police Service officers called off the chase.

He became Edson RCMP's problem half an hour later, when he failed to stop for several stop signs and continued to drive erratically and evade police during his drive through that town.

As he continued toward Jasper, RCMP say the man at times drove westbound in the eastbound lanes, in and out of ditches and medians, and continued to avoid police and spike belts.

Sometimes, police say, the man appeared to deliberately try to ram police vehicles, forcing officers to take evasive action.

Shortly after sunset, at about 10 p.m., the ambulance hit a spike belt just east of Jasper, disabling it and prompting the driver to take off on foot.

He was arrested not far from the ambulance, nearly 400 km from where the incident began.

RCMP have not yet laid charges but said they are pending.

Edmonton Police Services have charged John Hamilton Buchanan with flight from police and theft over $5,000.

TAMAS.VIRAG@SUNMEDIA.CA