Fla. Woman Stole Deputy's Vehicle, Then Caused Crash That Killed Herself and 2 Others
Kendra Boone entered the deputy's vehicle from the passenger-side window and then drove erratically, ultimately driving into oncoming traffic and colliding with a pickup truck
A woman stole a law enforcement vehicle and crashed into a pickup truck, killing herself and two others, Florida officials said.
The Marion County Sheriff's Office announced on social media that last Thursday, 33-year-old Kendra Boone initiated a police chase when she stole a sheriff’s deputy's vehicle and drove it across Florida’s East Highway 40 in an incident that ended with a fatal crash.
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods announced during a press conference that the chain of events began when Boone attempted to take an elderly woman’s keys and access her car. When police arrived on the scene, a sheriff's deputy instructed Boone to stand near the rear of his patrol car, and when the deputy got out of the car, Boone entered the vehicle from the passenger window and then climbed into the driver’s seat.
Woods shared police body cam footage of the incident, showing the deputy getting out of his vehicle as Boone appeared to stand beside the passenger door, which had its window open. In the video, the deputy could be seen making his way around the car, before noticing Boone missing on the other side. He yelled out, "No," and ran back around to the driver's side, pulling the door open.
The deputy could be heard yelling, "Stop, stop, stop," before Boone drove away with the driver's door still open. The deputy appeared to try to chase the vehicle before saying into his radio, "She just got into my car and took off."
A press release from the Marion County Sheriff's Office said Boone “fled at a high rate of speed” and got on East Highway 40, driving eastbound for several miles before making a U-turn and fleeing westbound to evade the pursuit of law enforcement.
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The press release said deputies deployed stop sticks in an attempt to stop the car, but Boone made a U-turn again before she could hit the sticks. The press release said Boone was “traveling well over 100 mph” and “driving erratically during her attempt to evade deputies.”
Ultimately, Boone lost control of the vehicle and entered the oncoming traffic lane, and collided with a black pickup truck, according to the release.
Responding officers found Boone and three occupants of the truck unresponsive, the release states. Boone and two of the occupants were pronounced dead at the scene and a third person was transported to the hospital in critical condition.
“Contrary to what people think… we’re not God and we do not know what people are thinking and we do not know what we are going into, but this individual decided to do what she did,” Woods said at the press conference.
The Marion County Sheriff's Office said a fatal traffic crash investigation is ongoing.
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