Was Recklessness the Root Cause of a Boat Accident?
A quiet night on the Clearwater Ferry erupted in chaos when a huge power boat slammed into the ferry, injuring at least ten passengers and killing one man. The boat, powered with three large engines that provided over 1,000 horsepower, was clearly capable of causing significant damage. And believe it or not, the same boat, with the same driver, was involved in a similar collision just a few years back.
Statements Conflict
An attorney for Jeffry Knight, the driver of the boat, has stated that Knight gave five short, rapid blasts on the boat’s horn in order to prevent a collision. He also claims that the ferry did not have proper lighting, making it impossible to see. Finally, the attorney says that passengers and the ferry driver were busy looking at dolphins in the water, thereby not paying attention to the traffic in the water. These points have been debated, with witnesses claiming there was no horn to warn them of the approaching boat, and that if it was light enough for passengers to see dolphins, as well as the approaching boat, it must have been possible for the boat driver to spot the ferry.
2019 Disaster
Jeffry Knight was at the wheel of his high-power boat when it smashed into a pontoon in 2019. Fortunately, just three individuals suffered injuries in that incident. Estimates put Knight’s boat at roughly 45 miles per hour at the time of the accident, while the pontoon was puttering along at just eight miles per hour. Fortunately for those on the pontoon, the operator was a doctor who could render first aid immediately.
Knight accepted responsibility for the pontoon collision, claiming he’d been checking his GPS at the time instead of looking out for other boats. He was charged with carelessly operating his boat and causing a collision.
Right of Way on the Water
One former law enforcement officer noted that Knight was required to give way to a smaller vessel and could have avoided the crash by slowing down and going behind the pontoon. Not only did Knight violate rules of navigation; he also failed to have a lookout onboard. Those factors likely played into the creation of a lawsuit injured individuals filed against Knight and the LLC holding the title to the boat. That suit was settled for an undisclosed amount.
Personal Injury
This situation reveals what is so common in personal injury cases: opposing parties provide vastly different summaries of what occurred. Getting to the truth requires intensive investigation. At Salazar & Kelly Law Group, our dedicated Kissimmee and Orlando personal injury attorneys have a strong commitment to achieving the best possible outcomes for the injured by bringing reckless or negligent operators to justice. To discuss your situation, schedule a confidential consultation in our Kissimmee office today.
Source:
abcactionnews.com/news/local-news/i-team-investigates/jeffry-knight-was-cited-for-careless-operation-in-2019-crash-involving-same-boat-in-clearwater-ferry-crash
