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 accidentnear HainesJunction on Wednesday.

O'Neilsays Boyd'sdeath 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.

"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, RCMPsaid in a news release that they were investigating the "possible theft" of the ambulance, as well as the circumstances of the crash.

On Thursday, Yukon's coroner issued a release, identifying Boyd as the driver and victim in the accident, and saying the vehicle hadbeen 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 familysays 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.

"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.

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