The fire truck was on its way to help a person with difficulty breathing when it was struck by an on-coming Chrysler 300 near East 38th Street and Butler Avenue about 11:40 p.m., Indianapolis Fire Department Battalion Chief Rita Reith said.  

The fire truck's light and sirens were activated. The driver of the eastbound Chrysler crossed the center lane and collided with the westbound truck, Reith said.

Police spotted Rodriguez while investigating a report of a suspicious person attempting to break into vehicles near the Tazewell/New Tazewell Fire Department's station house early Sunday.  

The responding officer noticed one of the fire hall's bay doors open, and the ladder truck idling inside with its lights activated. Rodriguez was in the driver's seat, the release states.

The suspect also stole a fuel card from the fire department, according to the release.

On Tuesday, the Harris-Elmore Fire Department loaded up 19 self-contained breathing apparatuses, several Hurst extraction tools, commonly referred to as “jaws of life,” and a number of other firefighting equipment to be shipped overseas to help save lives abroad.   

For legal liability reasons, Fire Chief Jim Wilburn said the department was limited in what it could do with its old equipment that was taken out of service after being replaced with the new state-of-the-art gear purchased through the grant. 

The incident took place at about 2:46 p.m., and witnesses said the lights and sirens were activated on Medic Truck 77, which was traveling westbound in the 16900 block of Slover Avenue.

The fire truck collided with a blue Toyota Yaris and a gray Dodge Caravan in the intersection of Slover and Tower Court.

Authorities said there were complaints of pain from the occupants of the two cars involved, but they declined medical treatment.