N.L. police watchdog investigating crash that killed woman near Corner Brook
A woman is dead, a man is in custody and the RCMP is under review after an early morning crash on Newfoundland's west coast.
The RCMP said Friday an officer was conducting a regular patrol of Route 450 at 12:45 a.m. near Halfway Point, about 13 kilometres west of Corner Brook, when a vehicle approached in the wrong lane.
The officer swerved to avoid the car, according to an RCMP press release. According to police, the officer turned on his vehicle's lights to make the driver stop. Instead, the driver fled and the officer decided not to pursue the car, due to its speed and because it was headed toward a residential area.
About five minutes later, according to the release, police responded to a single-vehicle crash in Halfway Point, and the vehicle matched the car that fled from police. A 38-year-old female passenger was pronounced dead at the scene.
James Boone, 39, was arrested Friday and appeared in court to face charges of dangerous operation causing death, flight from police, prohibited driving, a breach of probation and two counts of failing to comply with a condition of a release order. He's due back in court on Thursday.
Boone is also facing four firearms-related charges, assault and uttering threats in connection with an a separate incident, and is scheduled to appear in court in May to face those charges. Boone remains in custody.
The provincial serious-incident response team is reviewing the incident because of the interaction with an RCMP vehicle shortly before the crash.
