Alcohol May Be Involved in Fatal Boat Crash – Detroit, MI
Posted on October 13, 2008
Filed Under Local, News | 2 Comments
Fox News Channel 12 in Detroit, MI reports on a fatal boating accident that occurred this weekend:
In national news tonight: Alcohol may have been a factor in a fatal boat accident this weekend in Detroit, Michigan. Three people are dead and another person remains seriously injured. The 21 foot boat was speeding when it slammed into a dock. The accident instantly crushed the boat. The boat owner and another couple were killed. The boat owner’s wife was airlifted to the hospital. Witnesses describe the scene as pure panic. GUC says: “The boat was so mangled it took probably 20 minutes or so just to get them out. The boat was all crushed up and we were trying to hold the people in place while they took the boat apart to get them out. So, that was a pretty rough thing to see. ” Police say they found open and closed containers of alcohol on board the boat. The investigation continues for the cause of the crash.
In just one of many fatal boating accidents this season, this report also cites alcohol as a possible 
contributing factor in the deaths of three people. What many boat owners fail to remember is that drinking and driving laws apply to boaters as well as car drivers. In a recent post, we wrote about a NJ boat operator was suspected of drunk driving when his speed boat crashed into a smaller Boston Whaler this summer. In this case, the captain of the boat fled the scene and no breath test could be performed to determine his blood alcohol content.
The staff of Lawrenceville criminal lawyer Michael Sheffield told USmaritimelaw.org that the punishment for DUI may often be more severe than a ‘leaving the scene’ charge.
The punishment for a person’s first conviction of drunk driving charges is severe and generally includes driver’s license suspension for half a year, community service, a day in jail and more.
On the other hand, a “leaving the scene” charge can often be pleaded out to a misdemeanor. This is a loophole that needs to be closed before we will find any reduction in both drunk driving and hit-and-runs.
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2 Responses to “Alcohol May Be Involved in Fatal Boat Crash – Detroit, MI”
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I Suppose it depends what state you are in. In Florida, we take this sort of thing very seriously. heres the statute:
Accidents Causing Death or Personal Injury (Florida Statute 361.027)
A driver who is involved in an accident that causes any personal injury must remain at the scene of the accident until completing his statutory duties. These duties also include exchanging pertinent information, presenting a driver’s license, notifying law enforcement, and providing reasonable aid to the injured party. A willful violation of this statute results in a felony of the third degree. A third degree felony carries an imprisonment term of up to 5 years, and a possible fine of up to $5,000. Click Here to learn more about the impact of a felony conviction.
If the accident results in a death of any person and the driver willfully fails to comply with this statute, the driver has committed a felony of the first degree. A first degree felony carries a term of imprisonment of up to 30 years, and a fine of up to $10,000.
DUI is a serious offense that puts so many lives at stake. Suspending the license is an important law enforcement rule to make traffic violators realize that they cannot drive irresponsibly as it can lead to fatal accidents.