UPDATED: Council President's Son Dies In Farm Accident
Benjamin Boniface, 20, died in an accident on the Boniface family's farm Monday morning.
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UPDATED (1:05 p.m.)—The son of Harford County Council President Billy Boniface died in an early morning vehicle accident Monday on the family's farm in Darlington.
A prelimintary investigation revealed Benjamin Boniface, 20, died when the 1994 Ford pick-up truck he was driving struck a series of fence posts along a private road on Bonita Farm in the 3700 block of Harmony Church Road, according to a statement from the Harford County Sheriff's Office. Parts of the fence broke through the windshield of the truck, injuring Boniface, according to an emailed statement from sheriff's office spokesperson Monica Worrell.
Deputies believe the driver lost control of the vehicle heading into a curve in the roadway, Worrell said. The vehicle was last heard around 1:30 a.m., according to a statement from Worrell.
The accident was discovered at 4:15 a.m. by a night watchman, who then alerted Billy Boniface. The men pulled the younger Boniface from the vehicle before performing CPR on him, Worrell said.
Ben Boniface was pronounced dead at the scene at approximately 4:58 a.m. Monday, Worrell said.
Worrell told Patch that a full incident report was not immediately available at 11:30 a.m., but that it was her understanding that Benjamin Boniface was the only individual in the vehicle at the time of the accident.
According to his Facebook profile, Benjamin Boniface was a 2010 graduate of John Carroll School.
Rich Gardiner, spokesman for the Harford County Volunteer Fire & EMS Association, told Patch in an initial report shortly after 7 a.m. that the Level Volunteer Fire Company also responded to the scene just before 5 a.m. Monday.
Neighbors told Patch via email that they heard rescue vehicles driving back to the farm at 5 a.m. via the access road at Harmony Church Road.
Stay with Patch for updates
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NOTE: Initial reports from police and EMS indicated Boniface was 21. The article has been updated to provide accurate information.
In This article
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Harford County Sheriff's Office
45 S Main St, Bel Air, MD -
Sean Welsh
Joined Patch Friday, July 30, 2010 -
John Carroll School
703 E Churchville Rd, Bel Air, MD
Michelle Z.
11:27 am on Monday, June 18, 2012
Oh my!! Sending prayers to the Boniface family. May GOD give them strength though these difficult days.
Tom Brandis
11:30 am on Monday, June 18, 2012
Tragic. The Boniface's are a very nice family with old roots in our community. My prayers and thoughts are with them today.
God speed Ben.
Raetta Mullins
11:32 am on Monday, June 18, 2012
My condolences to the family. They are in my prayers.
Tracy Rhyne
11:40 am on Monday, June 18, 2012
Bill and Barb my heart goes out to you all....I will keep the family in my prayers during this very difficult time! xoxo
Kim B
11:40 am on Monday, June 18, 2012
My thoughts and prayers to the family. I am so sorry for your loss.
Sherry
12:13 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Boniface Family, we are really sorry to hear about this.
Jan Biondo
12:24 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
Am lifting up the Boniface family in prayer at this tragic time. May God bless and comfort the whole family. R.I.P. Ben.
James P. Miller
12:29 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord; and may Your perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Billy, Barbara, and family May God grant you peace and comfort during this time of sorrow.
detre
12:36 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
So sorry about this!! Sending love and light to you all!!!!
Alexandra Popoli
1:03 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
This is so unbelievable and tragic. Praying for the entire Boniface family on such a sad day. RIP Ben.
VirginiaB
1:28 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
God bless. This is an awful tragedy for a family to suffer. I am sorry for their loss.
H Flosser
1:29 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
I am so sorry to hear about the loss of Ben. He was a lovely student and person who will never be forgotten! My prayers are with the Boniface family.
Philip Einhorn
1:55 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
So sorry to hear about the accident. May God be with Billy and his family at this tragic time in their lives.
Barb Hiob
2:16 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
Billy and Barb, so very sorry to hear about your son. I pray for your entire family for comfort and peace.
Joyce Kelly
2:48 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
I pray that God will give you the strength to endure this awful time, my prayers are with you and your family.God Bless you all.
Pattie Hicks
3:13 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
Our thoughts and prayers are with your family during this tragic experience. May you find comfort in knowing that many prayers are going up for you all today.
The Hicks Family
Melissa L
3:23 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
What a terrible tragedy. My heart breaks for his family.
Pam Hicks
3:30 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
Our prayers go out to the Boniface family. My your love and faith comfort you and give you strength during this very difficult time. God Bless!
Pamela Koenig
3:52 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
May God grant you solace at this time ~~ so sad to hear this news.
Lisa Tibbs
4:16 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
So sorry for your family's loss we will keep you in our thoughts and prayers,and may god be with you and give you strength during this difficult time.
Vicki Shanor
5:46 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
My prayers for strength to the family and friends. May his precious soul rest in peace.
Diana Caudill
9:10 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
So sorry to hear of this tragic accident. May God give your family the strength to get through this terrible time.
Cathy Gross Smith
9:24 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
May the choirs of angels come to greet you. May they speed you to paradise. May the Lord enfold you in his mercy. May you find eternal life.
Stacie Beard
11:19 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
My thought and prayers go out to the Boniface family. May you find strength in the love and support surrounding you. I am so sorry for your loss.
Leo Heppner
5:48 am on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Thoughts and prayers goes to Billy and his family. I'm so sorry for this tragic loss.
Mary Beth Nocket
8:48 am on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
May the Lord wrap His loving arms around the Boniface family during this time of immense sorrow. I cannot imagine the depths of their sorrow. Ben was an awesome person ... full of life, love, and spirit! I am blessed to have known him.
Elizabeth Hopkins
3:43 pm on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
This world is a better place because of Ben. He touched our lives with his smile and winning personaity. We love you and miss you Ben. Liz, Frank and Sam Hopkins
linda montuori
9:13 pm on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
My daughter graduated with Ben. One of my specific memories of Ben was when I pulled up to JC one day to unload items for a school function. Out of all the kids standing out front, Ben was the one to come running over to my car insisting on helping me. He was such a gentleman and will be missed very much by his JC family. We send blessings to your family.
Skeet
10:19 am on Thursday, June 21, 2012
I hate to be a turd. I really do And I feel for this person's family and all his friends. It’s a tragic accident. But this is for all u Patch turds I been watching that get on here and bash and bash and bash. If this kid was from Edgewood the below comments/ questions would have been stated.
1) what was he doing out at 1:30?
2) He must have been drinking or high
3) He must have been driving like a fool!
4) I got on case search a checked his record and blah blah blah
Once again. I am sorry for the loss. May he rest in peace. I am just surprised that……….nope……..actually I’m not.
Karl Schuub
10:36 am on Thursday, June 21, 2012
What you're missing here is 1) This is the son of a highly respected and well know public servant and businessman, 2) This entire family has worked, prospered and been upstanding citizens in this county for literally decades; nearly a century, 3) There's no evidence he was high, speeding or wreckless, 4) He was on a private road with nobody else around so nobody else was endangered...to the number 5)...yes you are a number 2.
Whip Filmore
3:57 pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012
Skeet's got a point. Here look at another car accident article. First comment:
http://belair.patch.com/articles/fallston-accident-kills-essex-bel-air-men#comments_list
http://i49.tinypic.com/35k76vq.png
and a little further down
http://i50.tinypic.com/dcq0wx.png
Whip Filmore
4:06 pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012
Re: Karl, you got all high and mighty about texting when there was an accident on 95 here:
http://belair.patch.com/articles/lane-closures-delays-on-northbound-i-95-harford-county
http://oi48.tinypic.com/5nk8wm.jpg
but you didn't get up on your soapbox this time? Whether or not you knew the person should have no effect on how you bash them in a public space like this. Why don't you take this moment to reflect. A young man has died and it was a great loss and for once, you kept your mouth shut and didn't victim blame/"ask questions." Why don't you continue that trend next time there is an accident and someone who you don't know dies.
Whip Filmore
4:19 pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012
Oh, and here's another example of you victim blaming someone you didn't know.
http://belair.patch.com/articles/serious-accident-in-fallston-injures-2
http://i46.tinypic.com/2ry299i.png
Why do you deny your compassion and respect to people you don't know and only reserve it for the few you hold in high regard?
Skeet
11:07 am on Thursday, June 21, 2012
I am not saying he was or accusing him. I know nothing about this young man and am sorry it happend. My post is directed to the majority of the patch commenters. And your response is excatly what I expected. A bunch of irrelivent excuses......
suz
2:33 pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012
If you know nothing about this young man..... than you should keep your mouth shut. If you read these post from the majority of comments, they are from people that know him or his family.
sef
3:30 pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012
@ Skeet - what an idiot you are!
Skeet
3:32 pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012
Sef.......... Why is that?
Skeet
4:01 pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012
Thanks Whip Filmore......
If I had time I would dig up a ton of garbage. And its not just about car accidents either.
Whip Filmore
4:14 pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012
maybe I will do that. It is wonderful to see compassion after tragedies like this, but it is utterly disgusting to see the lack of compassion that some people have when it is someone they don't know.
Karl Schuub
4:21 pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012
Whip - someone tried to hijack this thread of mostly sincere thoughts and prayers for a well known and respected family. This someone specifically used the location of "edgewood" to try to make a racial issue. Any other comments about texting and running red lights are so removed from that it's like night and day. You and your equally callous friend are welcome to create your own blog and attach anything I've ever said that upsets you. This location however in inappropriate.
Skeet
4:54 pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012
There are tons of white people in Edgewood Karl. How did I make it about race? If anybody was going to say that it would be u!
Skeet
4:54 pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012
Whip..........that is the point I was trying to make. Guess I just cant put the words in writing like you.
Sean Welsh
10:09 am on Saturday, June 23, 2012
A comment by user "Skeet" has been deleted for violation of Patch's Terms of Use. Those terms can be found here: http://havredegrace.patch.com/terms
Sean
D.L. Coleman
4:30 pm on Tuesday, September 18, 2012
"Skeet" and "Whip" Although I completely understand your statements because I am a resident of Edgewood, if we was my son that I just lost, your comments would be the last thing I would want to see........wrong time and place.