A man police described as ‘psychotic’ was arrested by police after he hijacked a bulldozer and crashed it in to Yanbu General Prison during a bizarre rampage in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
The man, in his 30s, had been admitted to Yanbu General Hospital where he was awaiting transfer to the Medinah mental hospital. He had been sedated because, according to hospital officials, he’d escaped many times before. Medinah had refused to accept him because the hospital was short of beds.
He managed to escape from his bed and fled to a nearby construction site where he confronted a bulldozer driver and stole the heavy vehicle. He then stormed into Yanbu General Prison after crashing through the main gates and flattened the guard house.
He then turned towards the nearby office of the Yanbu Anti-Narcotic Department and damaged six cars parked in front of it before hightailing down a one-way street the wrong way – sending pedestrians and commuters in to a spin. He then started towards the city’s airport, trailed by a flurry of narcotics inspectors and police.
Police apprehended the man after shooting out the bulldozer’s tyres, just before he entered the airport perimeter. A short scuffle ensued and a narcotics officer sustained facial injuries.
The man was taken straight to Madinah under heavy guard. Police are investigating the matter and have yet to make charges.
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