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Ambulance crash victim was trying to 'right a wrong,' family says

Friends, family and fellow volunteers are mourning 19-year-old Elizabeth Boyd, who died in a vehicle accident near Haines Junction on Wednesday.

19-year-old Elizabeth Boyd died on Wednesday near Haines Junction

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Elizabeth Boyd, seen here in 2017, was killed on Wednesday morning when the vehicle she was driving went off the road near Haines Junction, Yukon. (Philippe Morin/CBC)

Friends, family and fellow volunteers are mourning 19-year-old Elizabeth Boyd, who died in a vehicle accident near Haines Junction on Wednesday. 

Colin O'Neil, chief of the Mount Lorne volunteer fire department, had known Boyd for years. She had joined the fire department as a volunteer when she was just 16.

O'Neil says Boyd's death is an immense loss to the territory.

"It's a shock to our community, it's a shock for the whole Yukon fire service and for all first responders," he said. 

Last year, Boyd  received an Outstanding Youth Achievement Award from the Commissioner of Yukon. She was also a Junior Canadian Ranger, involved in 4-H, and just last month competed in FireFit competitions in Whitehorse as part of an all-woman team. 
Last year, Boyd received an Outstanding Youth Achievement Award from the Commissioner of Yukon. (Philippe Morin/CBC)
"Elizabeth loved life, loved people, was always the first person to volunteer to help. She was always the first person to give of herself to her community and the people around her — and she did that until the very last day," O'Neil said.

"I just hope that my daughter will be the kind of person that Elizabeth was."

'Trying to right a wrong'

Boyd's family also issued a statement on Friday, saying their loss has been "overwhelming."

They also suggested that Boyd was "trying to right a wrong," in driving a vehicle that had reportedly been taken from a government work site near Cracker Creek.  

On Wednesday, after the crash, RCMP said in a news release that they were investigating the "possible theft" of the ambulance, as well as the circumstances of the crash. 

The accident happened on the Alaska Highway, just east of Haines Junction. (Philippe Morin/CBC)

On Thursday, Yukon's coroner issued a release, identifying Boyd as the driver and victim in the accident, and saying the vehicle had been taken Wednesday morning from the highway construction site "without consent." According to the coroner, Boyd was driving back toward to the construction site when she drove off the road.

The statement from Boyd's family says she was "trying to right a wrong to return the emergency transport vehicle to the highways camp. This was a reflection of who she was and her concern for the safety of all Yukoners." 

Family friend Boyd Pyper, also a firefighter, says such vehicles are typically left with the keys inside, specifically so they can be used in emergencies. 

'Turn the phone off, put it away, give it to someone' when driving, advises Boyd Pyper, a friend of Boyd and her family. (Philippe Morin/CBC)

"The police and coroner may have more to say as events unfold, and as the investigation unfolds … but she's definitely not a 'person of interest,' in how some of the initial sort of reports came out," Pyper said. 

Distracted driving

According to the coroner, Boyd was using a cell phone when she drove off the road and crashed. Her family's statement also says Boyd was not wearing a seatbelt.

Pyper says he wants other drivers to learn from Boyd's accident. He urges people to wear seatbelts, and avoid distractions when on the road.

"Turn the phone off, put it away, give it to someone," he said.

"We've done huge amounts about impaired driving over the number of years, we've got to start talking about cell phones more." 

With files from Claudiane Samson, Philippe Morin and Dave White

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