3 dead, 1 injured in crash involving stolen Marion County Sheriff's Office patrol car, officials say
SILVER SPRINGS, Fla. - Three people were killed, and one person was injured in a crash involving a stolen Marion County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) patrol vehicle and pickup truck on Thursday afternoon.
The crash, which happened in the 26700 block of E. Highway 40, shut down traffic on the highway between Forest Road 88 and Highway 19, according to the Marion County Sheriff's Office.
A spokesperson for the sheriff's office said a deputy responded to a "suspicious incident" call at Forest Plaza in Silver Springs around 2:21 p.m.
A woman identified as 33-year-old Kendra Boone attempted to take an elderly woman's keys. When a deputy arrived at the area, he asked Boone to go to the back of his patrol car.
After he exited his patrol car, Boone reportedly entered the car through the passenger side and climbed into the driver's seat before leaving "at a high rate of speed."
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Another deputy in the vicinity located and pursued Boone, who was heading eastbound on Highway 40. Approximately eight miles from the scene of the car theft, Boone crashed the patrol car into a pickup truck that was traveling in the opposite direction.
The driver of the pickup truck and one passenger were killed in the crash, as was the driver of the patrol car. One pickup passenger was transported to a local hospital in critical condition.
The Florida Highway Patrol is conducting a traffic homicide investigation.
"We know early on the basics but we want to take and know everything we can factually as far what happened before the crash, during the crash, and after the crash," said FHP Lt. Patrick Riordan. "It’s a very, very large scene. There’s a lot of bits and pieces to measure to photograph to document."
Lt. Riordan said the deputy's patrol car was completely destroyed.
The three deceased were not immediately identified.