12 hours ago
Speed boat driver charged in Florida Keys crash that killed a Hialeah woman: FWC
Months after a Hialeah woman was killed when a speedboat crash ejected six people, a Miami Beach man captaining the craft was charged Friday with her death, authorities say.
Reinaldo Aquit, 48, was piloting the 39-foot speedboat on Nov. 7 from Miami to Key West in a 120-boat 'poker run' event to celebrate the Race World Offshore World Championship, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.
MORE: Boat crash in Florida Keys kills Hialeah woman and injures several others, FWC says
In the Calda Channel, north of Key West, the agency said Aquit was driving carelessly, speeding and 'disregarding navigational rules. The channel is narrow, and when Aquit took a sharp turn, the speedboat rolled, ejecting six people who were on board.
Stephanie Rodriguez, 28, died, and several others were injured.
On Friday, Aquit was arrested and charged with vessel homicide and eight misdemeanors. It's unclear what the other charges are. The Miami Herald has requested his arrest warrant.
'The tragic death of this young woman was completely avoidable,' Maj. Alberto Maza, FWC South Bravo Regional Commander, said in a statement. 'We continue to think of Ms. Rodriguez's friends and family as they grieve her loss.'
