Florida Woman Steals Deputy SUV, Kills Two in High-Speed Wrong-Way Crash
A deadly mix of recklessness and failed protocol ends in tragedy on Florida roads
Marion County, FL – A seemingly routine sheriff’s response to a suspicious person turned into a fatal high-speed pursuit that left three people dead, including the suspect, and another critically injured, raising serious questions about law enforcement procedures and mental health response protocols in Florida.
According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded on February 1 to a report of a woman attempting to take an elderly woman’s car keys outside Forest Plaza in Silver Springs. The suspect, later identified as 33-year-old Kendra Boone, was allegedly acting erratically and trying to enter the vehicle.
Deputy body cam footage shows Boone being instructed to stand behind a patrol SUV. But while the deputy briefly walked away, Boone seized the moment, slipping into the driver’s seat of the marked vehicle and locking the doors. Despite the deputy’s attempt to stop her, she accelerated away from the scene, initiating a dangerous pursuit.
A Pursuit with Fatal Consequences
Deputies followed Boone for several miles at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour. Despite deploying stop sticks and attempting tactical maneuvers, Boone was able to avoid capture by performing a U-turn and continuing to flee.
Boone’s flight ended in tragedy when she attempted to overtake a semi-truck by veering off-road. She lost control of the stolen SUV, crossed into oncoming traffic, and slammed head-on into a black pickup truck.
Deputies arriving on the scene found Boone and three occupants of the pickup truck unresponsive. Boone and two people in the truck were pronounced dead at the scene. A third occupant was transported to a hospital in critical condition.
A Crisis of Security and Oversight
While the Florida Highway Patrol continues its investigation, the incident highlights ongoing issues with law enforcement protocol—specifically the vulnerability of unsecured patrol vehicles during detentions and the failure to properly assess suspect risk on site.
Mental health experts have also raised concerns about whether Boone was in the midst of a crisis and whether a trained mental health officer or crisis intervention team could have prevented the outcome.
“This is a tragic example of a response situation escalating beyond what any officer could have expected,” said one former law enforcement advisor. “But it also reveals a gap in protocol that needs to be addressed urgently.”
Who Were the Victims?
Authorities have not yet released the names of the victims in the pickup truck pending family notification. Local community members are calling for transparency and accountability following the loss of innocent lives.
“This wasn’t just a police chase,” said one Silver Springs resident. “Three people are dead. This can’t just be brushed off as a freak incident.”
Three lives were ended in moments. A stolen police vehicle, a high-speed pursuit, and a fatal crash—all triggered by one bad decision and compounded by a breakdown in on-the-ground security measures.
As Florida law enforcement reviews the case, the public is left asking: could this have been stopped before it even started?
