boost::python::numpy causing python crash when numpy not installed

Start with the reported BOOST_PYTHON_MODULE entry point and the np::initialize() call, then reproduce the import with numpy absent. Inspect how Boost.Python NumPy initialization propagates ModuleNotFoundError or ImportError during extension import. Done means the failure is catchable by Python instead of terminating the interpreter.

The following code causes python to exit (crash?) upon import when numpy is not installed. It looks like a ModuleNotFoundError does get thrown but it's not catchable and python simply exits. It's hard to tell if this is exit() being called or an actual crash. I would expect a catchable ModuleNotFoundError or ImportError to be thrown and python not to exit.

#define BOOST_PYTHON_STATIC_LIB
#define BOOST_NUMPY_STATIC_LIB
#include <boost/python.hpp>

#include <boost/python.hpp>
#include <boost/python/suite/indexing/vector_indexing_suite.hpp>
#include <boost/python/numpy.hpp>

namespace py = boost::python;
namespace np = boost::python::numpy;

template<class T>
np::ndarray to_numpy(const std::vector<T> &vec)
{
	Py_intptr_t shape[1] = { static_cast<Py_intptr_t>(vec.size()) };
	np::ndarray result = np::zeros(1, shape, np::dtype::get_builtin<T>());
	std::copy(vec.begin(), vec.end(), reinterpret_cast<T*>(result.get_data()));
	return result;
}

BOOST_PYTHON_MODULE(HelloBoostPython)
{
	np::initialize();

	py::class_<std::vector<double>>("DoubleVector")
		.def(py::init<size_t>())
		.def(py::init<size_t, const double&>())
		.def(py::vector_indexing_suite<std::vector<double>>())
		.def("to_numpy", to_numpy<double>)
		;
}

prompt:

(base) C:\Development\HelloBoostPython\Debug>python
Python 3.7.4 (default, Aug  9 2019, 18:22:51) [MSC v.1915 32 bit (Intel)] :: Anaconda, Inc. on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import HelloBoostPython
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'numpy'
ImportError: numpy.core._multiarray_umath failed to import

(base) C:\Development\HelloBoostPython\Debug>

If it matters, this is with boost 1.70 using visual studio 2017 to build.