Man Flees Hospital, Steals Funeral Home Car with Body Inside

Henry Lyles hijacked a hearse with a body inside before being arrested on June 28. The body was recovered unharmed.

Police say an Atlanta man stole a funeral home car and drove through hospital security gates before being arrested June 28.

A funeral home worker had just finished loading his hearse with a body outside of Grady Memorial Hospital when 34-year-old Henry Lyles allegedly stole the driver’s keys and crashed through the hospital security gates. Lyles then hijacked a Ford Explorer minutes later before being arrested by police in Georgia’s Douglas County.

Officers recovered the hearse with the body inside a short time later, but the funeral director later raised questions about Grady Memorial Hospital’s security, according to nycriminallawyer.com.

Lyles was being treated in the hospital’s trauma center and hospital security guards were alerted when he took off. A hospital spokeswoman said security procedures were correctly followed although officials were reviewing the incident.

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