A screenshot shows a sheriff’s deputy trying to grab a woman who stole his patrol vehicle. Deputies say the driver was Kendra Dalyn Boone, pictured in the inset. She killed herself and two innocent people by crashing into a pickup truck, authorities said. Mug shot is from an Oct. 28, 2021, arrest on warrants for fleeing police with disregard for safety to persons and trespassing. (Screenshot and mug shot: Marion County Sheriff’s Office)
A “moron” stole a patrol vehicle and led law enforcement on a high-speed chase that ended with her losing control and crashing into a pickup truck, killing “two innocent people” and herself and critically wounding a person, authorities said.
According to the sheriff’s office, deputies responded Thursday at around 2 p.m. at the Forest Plaza in the 15900 block of E. Highway 40 in the community of Silver Springs. The agency identified the suspect as Kendra Dalyn Boone, 33.
They were told that a woman, later identified as Boone, tried to steal an elderly woman’s keys.
“Boone was unsuccessful, but she attempted to gain access to the woman’s vehicle,” deputies wrote. “When Deputy Witte arrived on scene, he contacted Boone and advised her to go to the rear of his patrol vehicle. Shortly after he exited his patrol vehicle, Boone entered the patrol vehicle through the passenger side and climbed into the driver’s seat.”
Sheriff Billy Woods of Marion County, Florida, told reporters that his deputy had rolled the window down to speak with Boone on arriving. He said that, as a matter of course, law enforcement would not know who the perpetrator was in a situation until they arrived and investigated in earnest. He suggested that his deputy gave her the benefit of the doubt.
As seen on video, Boone entered the vehicle through the passenger side and returned to the driver’s seat. The deputy opened the driver-side door and tried to pull her out, but she sped off.
“Stop! Stop! Stop!” he said as she drove off.
In defense of the deputy, Woods told reporters, “That would have happened to me.”
As seen on video, another sheriff’s office vehicle gave chase.
Wood voiced anger when a reporter asked about the deputy leaving the car running and the relevant sheriff’s office policy.
“I have a feeling y’all are going to push my buttons,” he said. “That means s—, ‘kay. That doesn’t play a factor into anything. This moron stole a police vehicle and killed two human beings. What my policies are, what the procedures are, mean nothing. We did nothing wrong. My deputy did nothing wrong.”
He was emphatic that Boone alone was responsible for what happened.
According to deputies, Boone fled east on East Highway 40 for several miles before she made a U-turn near the weigh station just west of Highway 19. As she went westbound, deputies put down stopsticks ahead of her path.
“However, before reaching the area of the stop stick deployment, Boone performed another U-turn and began to flee back eastbound on East Highway 40,” they wrote. “Due to the fact that Boone was traveling well over 100 MPH and driving erratically during her attempt to evade deputies, Deputy Barnes lost visual contact with the stolen vehicle on numerous occasions.”
Reaching the 26700 block of E. Highway 40, she allegedly left the roadway and got onto the right shoulder to try to pass a semi-truck. But when she reentered the road, she lost control of the vehicle, entered an oncoming lane of traffic and crashed into a pickup truck, killing not just herself but also the two occupants of the other vehicle. It hit the front of the pickup truck, said the Florida Highway Patrol. Troopers are investigating the crash, deputies said.
Both Woods and troopers noted that there was a survivor. Authorities did not name any victims as they work to notify family members.
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