A high-speed chase in Florida ended in tragedy on Thursday when a woman, who had stolen a deputy sheriff’s patrol car, crashed into oncoming traffic, resulting in her death and the deaths of two others. Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods expressed his outrage at the incident during a press conference on Friday.
The incident began when deputies responded to a report of a woman attempting to steal an elderly woman’s keys at a shopping center in Silver Springs. The woman was later identified as 33-year-old Kendra Boone. Deputy Chris Witte arrived at the scene and briefly stepped out of his patrol SUV, instructing Boone to move to the back of his vehicle.
However, Boone seized the opportunity to jump into the running patrol vehicle through the open passenger window and quickly took control of the wheel. Bodycam footage shows Witte attempting to stop Boone as she drove away, even trying to pull her out of the moving vehicle, but she managed to speed away from the shopping center parking lot.
Boone led deputies on a high-speed chase, driving eastbound on East Highway 40 for several miles. According to Sheriff Woods, she was driving at speeds well over 100 miles per hour and behaving erratically in an attempt to evade the pursuing deputies.
The chase took a fatal turn when Boone, attempting to overtake a semi-truck, lost control of the vehicle. She crossed over the double yellow lines into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with a black pickup truck. Boone and the three occupants of the pickup were unresponsive when deputies arrived at the crash site.
Boone and two occupants of the truck, a 73-year-old man and a 72-year-old woman from Waterloo, South Carolina, were pronounced dead at the scene. The third occupant was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition.
Sheriff Woods expressed his shock and concern over the incident, highlighting the potential danger posed by the stolen patrol car, which contained a long rifle. He also revealed that Boone had a lengthy criminal history, including 13 felony charges and nine misdemeanor charges. She had been released from prison just weeks before the incident.
Despite the tragic outcome, Sheriff Woods defended his deputy, stating that he did not believe the deputy was at fault for leaving his vehicle running. He emphasized that the blame lay solely with Boone for her reckless actions.