Iowan says he stole vehicle to save his life

DES MOINES (AP) ? An 18-year-old Des Moines man has told police he stole a vehicle and drove it to Mercy Medical Center because he feared for his life.

The Des Moines Register says the man was robbed Saturday night by a 16-year-old acquaintance and then shot in a leg after the robber told him to run.

The man continued to flee until he saw a running vehicle parked on the side of a street. The wounded man got in and drove himself to the hospital. He told officers he stole it because he thought his only chance to survive was to drive himself to the hospital.

A witness told police he saw the vehicle hit another vehicle in front of the hospital and then strike the hospital near the west entrance.