What began as a suspicious-person call at a shopping center escalated within seconds when 33-year-old Kendra Boone allegedly climbed into a deputy’s patrol SUV and drove away. Authorities said she then fled along State Road 40 at speeds exceeding 100 mph. The incident ended approximately eight miles away in a devastating collision with an oncoming pickup truck.

THREE PEOPLE DIED AND ANOTHER PERSON WAS CRITICALLY INJURED.

1. DEPUTIES RESPOND TO A SUSPICIOUS INCIDENT

 

 

The incident began at around 2 p.m. at Forest Plaza in Silver Springs, near a Winn-Dixie.

According to authorities, deputies had been dispatched to investigate suspicious activity. Boone was reportedly attempting to obtain an elderly woman's vehicle keys.

A deputy arrived and made contact with her.

At this stage, nothing about the situation suggested that a catastrophic highway collision was only minutes away.

But the encounter changed almost immediately.

A ROUTINE POLICE RESPONSE WAS ABOUT TO BECOME A HIGH-SPEED EMERGENCY.

2. BOONE GETS INTO THE DEPUTY’S SUV

 

 

 

According to the Marion County Sheriff's Office, the deputy directed Boone toward the rear of his patrol vehicle.

When the deputy moved away, Boone instead got into the SUV.

Bodycam footage subsequently released from the incident showed just how quickly it happened.

Reporting on the video said Boone entered through the passenger side and moved into the driver's seat while the patrol vehicle was still running.

The deputy realized what was happening and attempted to intervene.

But Boone began driving away.

IN ONLY A FEW SECONDS, THE DEPUTY HAD LOST CONTROL OF HIS MARKED PATROL VEHICLE.

3. THE DEPUTY TRIES TO STOP HER

 

 

 

The bodycam footage captured the deputy reacting as the SUV began moving.

According to reporting based on the released footage, he chased after the vehicle and attempted to reach Boone before she escaped from the shopping center.

It was unsuccessful.

The marked sheriff's vehicle accelerated away.

Other deputies were alerted, and another unit soon located the stolen SUV traveling east on Highway 40.

THE INCIDENT HAD NOW CHANGED FROM A SUSPICIOUS-PERSON CALL INTO THE THEFT OF A MARKED POLICE VEHICLE.

And the speed was about to increase dramatically.

4. THE STOLEN CRUISER REPORTEDLY EXCEEDS 100 MPH

 

 

 

Authorities said Boone fled east on State Road 40 at extremely high speed.

WESH reported that deputies said the stolen cruiser was traveling faster than 100 mph.

State Road 40 runs through stretches of comparatively rural terrain in this area, with oncoming traffic separated primarily by the centerline rather than a median.

At highway speed, there is already little room for error.

At more than 100 mph, the available reaction time shrinks dramatically.

Deputies pursued while attempts were made to bring the stolen vehicle to a stop.

THE FASTER THE SUV TRAVELED, THE GREATER THE DANGER BECAME FOR EVERY DRIVER ON THE ROAD.

5. DEPUTIES TRY TO END THE PURSUIT

Stopping a stolen police vehicle presents an unusual challenge.

The SUV itself was designed for law-enforcement work.

It could travel at highway speeds, and its appearance could potentially confuse other motorists who saw it approaching.

Accounts of the pursuit said deputies attempted to deploy stop sticks, while Boone continued driving erratically and at very high speed.

The pursuit moved several miles east from the location where the patrol vehicle had originally been taken.

Meanwhile, ordinary motorists were still using the same highway.

THE INCIDENT WAS NO LONGER ONLY ABOUT RECOVERING A STOLEN POLICE VEHICLE — IT HAD BECOME A RACE TO PREVENT A MAJOR COLLISION.

6. THE STOLEN SUV COLLIDES WITH AN ONCOMING PICKUP

 

 

 

The pursuit ended in the 26700 block of East Highway 40, roughly eight miles from where the patrol vehicle was stolen.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol and local reporting, the stolen sheriff's SUV collided with a GMC pickup traveling in the opposite direction.

The impact was catastrophic.

Images from the scene show the sheriff's SUV with massive structural damage.

Its front section was virtually destroyed.

Debris was scattered across the highway.

The pickup sustained devastating damage as well.

THE VIOLENCE OF THE COLLISION TURNED THE HIGHWAY INTO A MASSIVE CRASH SCENE.

7. THREE PEOPLE ARE KILLED

 

 

 

Boone died in the crash.

Two occupants of the pickup were also killed.

A third person traveling in the pickup was transported to a hospital in critical condition.

Aerial imagery showed emergency vehicles occupying the roadway while investigators worked around the destroyed vehicles.

The Marion County Sheriff's Office patrol SUV was so heavily damaged that identifying the original shape of portions of the vehicle became difficult.

A POLICE CONTACT THAT HAD STARTED ONLY MINUTES EARLIER HAD NOW LEFT THREE PEOPLE DEAD AND ANOTHER FIGHTING FOR SURVIVAL.

8. HIGHWAY 40 BECOMES A LARGE INVESTIGATION SCENE

 

 

Authorities shut down a significant portion of Highway 40 while the Florida Highway Patrol began investigating.

The roadway was closed between Forest Road 88 and Highway 19 while investigators documented the scene.

This was no longer a normal collision investigation.

Investigators needed to reconstruct an event involving a stolen law-enforcement vehicle, a pursuit and multiple fatalities.

FHP personnel had to document debris, vehicle positions, impact evidence and other details spread across the roadway.

The scale of the destruction is clearly visible in the supplied image.

THE DESTROYED PATROL SUV BECAME ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECES OF PHYSICAL EVIDENCE.

9. INVESTIGATORS RECONSTRUCT THE FINAL MOMENTS

 

 

The Florida Highway Patrol took responsibility for the traffic-homicide investigation.

FHP Lt. Patrick Riordan described the scene as extremely large, explaining that investigators had numerous pieces of evidence to measure, photograph and document.

Investigators also had other sources of evidence available.

The initial deputy's bodycam documented the theft.

Police communications could establish the progression of the pursuit.

Witness accounts and physical evidence could help reconstruct the final collision.

And the destroyed vehicles themselves contained evidence about the enormous forces involved.

THE BODYCAM SHOWED HOW THE INCIDENT STARTED. THE CRASH SCENE SHOWED HOW DEVASTATINGLY IT ENDED.

10. A FEW SECONDS CHANGED EVERYTHING

 

 

 

The most striking part of this incident is how rapidly the situation escalated.

Police initially responded to a suspicious incident.

A deputy encountered Boone.

She gained access to the patrol SUV.

The deputy attempted to stop her.

She escaped.

Another deputy pursued.

The stolen vehicle reportedly reached speeds above 100 mph.

Minutes later, it collided with an oncoming pickup.

By the time emergency crews reached the final scene, THREE PEOPLE WERE DEAD AND ANOTHER PERSON WAS CRITICALLY INJURED.

The wrecked law-enforcement SUV in the supplied image represents the final result of that chain of events.

What appears in the photograph as twisted metal and scattered debris began with a decision made during a police encounter miles away.

THE BODYCAM CAPTURED THE MOMENT THE PATROL VEHICLE WAS TAKEN. THE HIGHWAY CRASH REVEALED THE DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES THAT FOLLOWED.

CONTINUE WATCHING

It took only seconds for the suspect to get inside the deputy’s running patrol SUV, but what followed became a 100+ mph pursuit with devastating consequences. Watch the full footage at the link below to see how the cruiser was stolen, how deputies responded, and how the chase reached its tragic end. 👇