Latest news with #boatingaccident
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Jannus owner Jeff Knight charged with 8 felonies in Clearwater Ferry crash
Jannus owner Jeff Knight charged with 8 felonies in Clearwater Ferry crash The boat operator who struck the Clearwater Ferry, killing one man and injuring 10 others, has been charged with eight felony counts of leaving the scene of a boating accident involving death and/or serious bodily injury in connection with the crash. In a news release about 6 p.m. Monday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced the charges against Jeff Knight, a prominent local businessperson and owner of St. Petersburg concert venue Jannus Live. Knight was arrested about 6:30 p.m. after returning from the Bahamas and landing at St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport, said Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney Bruce Bartlett. Bartlett said a warrant was issued for Knight's arrest about a month ago and that his office had been in touch with Knight's lawyers. 'We didn't have to go through an extradition process,' Bartlett said. 'To his credit, he cooperated.' Knight was booked at the Pinellas County Jail at 7 p.m., records show. Jail records said bail was set at $5,000 per felony count. Each felony charge can carry a sentence of up to 30 years in prison and includes a mandatory minimum of four years in prison if the accident results in death. Florida's Lucy's Law, passed this year, imposed stricter penalties for boaters who flee the scene of a crash without offering aid or reporting the crash. 'He's looking at a — potentially — a pretty good hit of prison time, because he's going to have a lot of injury points with serious bodily injury and with the death," Bartlett said. 'That scores in on all of it.' Knight has maintained his innocence in letters written by his lawyer, J. Kevin Hayslett, who did not respond to a phone call or text message from a Tampa Bay Times reporter Monday evening. Additional misdemeanor charges, including failure to maintain a safe speed and failure to maintain a proper lookout resulting in a fatal boating accident, will be filed with the state attorney's office, according to the news release. 'We're proud of the cooperative efforts between our agency, law enforcement partners and the State Attorney's Office to bring justice to those impacted by this tragic event,' the agency's Southwest Regional commander, Maj. Evan Laskowski, said in the release. Officers with the wildlife commission reviewed surveillance video and physical evidence and interviewed multiple witnesses during the investigation, according to the agency. The U.S. Coast Guard is conducting a concurrent investigation into the Clearwater Ferry's involvement in the crash, the release said. The crash occurred April 29 as day turned to dusk near the Clearwater Memorial Causeway bridge. The ferry had been carrying 46 people, including two crew members, from Clearwater Beach when the collision was first reported at 8:43 p.m. Time-stamped video recorded by a city web camera at Coachman Park shows the boat crashing into the back of the ferry at 8:40 p.m. It then pulled away from the ferry and remained in the area as the ferry appeared to drift. About 10 minutes later, it began to slowly motor away from the scene. After the crash, Knight consented to a Breathlyzer test, which registered no alcohol in his system. Investigators did not draw blood to test for drugs at the time. Knight's lawyer has also suggested the ferry didn't have proper lighting and its crew were distracted by dolphins. Passengers on Knight's boat said they heard him shout, 'Where the f—k were their lights?' in the moments after the crash, according to one letter penned by his attorney. Those who spent their careers on the Intracoastal Waterway and rendered aid after the crash said they'd never had a difficult time seeing the ferry, which has plodded along the same route every week for the last decade. Multiple civil lawsuits have been filed against Knight by ferry passengers alleging he was 'careless and negligent' by operating at an excessive speed. Since the crash, Knight's boat has been impounded at the wildlife commission's office on Gandy Boulevard. Knight has had his share of trouble on the water, records show. In 2019, he was headed east toward the Dick Misener Bridge when he struck a pontoon boat, injuring three passengers. One woman suffered a broken leg and lacerations to her kidney, liver and lung. In 2012, a Jannus employee drowned near the Renaissance Vinoy Hotel while partying aboard Knight's docked vessel. The medical examiner's office discovered cocaine in the man's system. Knight has also been convicted three times on charges of driving while impaired, records show. He has been credited with saving a struggling Jannus Live after assuming partial ownership in 2009, in turn revitalizing the center of St. Petersburg's nightlife scene. Amid calls to boycott the downtown block, management has tried to distance the venue from Knight. 'Effective immediately, Jeff Knight is stepping down from his position at Jannus Live and will no longer have any affiliation with the venue,' the venue wrote in a social media post on April 30, which was signed by 'The Jannus Live family.' Records show at least two former employees have accused Knight of sexual harassment. A third person said he was fired after trying to stop Knight from assaulting one of the women. A bartender at Jannus Landing said Knight grabbed her by the hair and forced her to kiss him, a police report from June 2023 states. Four months later, another woman working as a security guard at Jannus Live alleged Knight groped her between the legs and licked her face. The family of Jose Castro, who was killed in the ferry crash, previously told the Times they hoped Knight would be charged. 'I want this guy to pay for what he did, for what we're going through right now,' said Castro's sister, Sandy Todd. Knight's DUI record and past incidents on the water aroused the family's suspicions. Castro's family did not respond immediately to a request for comment on Monday evening. 'This is a rich businessman that seems like he could do whatever he wants,' said Castro's brother-in-law, Kenny Rodriguez, in April. 'I'm just sick of it. How do you do this and just drive away? I'm very angry.' 'I want justice for Jose,' he said. Times staff writers Alexa Coultoff, Christopher Spata, Chris Tisch and Emily Wunderlich contributed to this report.
The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
Two children at Miami sailing camp killed after barge collides with their boat
Two kids were killed and two more are in critical condition after a barge appears to have struck their boat and sent them overboard during a sailing camp in Miami on Monday, authorities said. All six people on the sailing boat were pulled from the water by responders, and four kids were rushed to a nearby hospital where two were pronounced dead upon arrival, said petty officer 3rd Class Nicholas Strasburg, a spokesperson for the US Coast Guard. The six – one adult and five kids – were in their last week of the sailing camp for kids from seven to 15 years old, according to the Miami Yacht Club. 'The entire MYC family is devastated by this terrible tragedy,' said Emily Copeland, the commodore of the yacht club, in a statement. Two of the six who were rescued were in 'good condition', Strasburg said. Last year, there were more than 550 deaths in recreational boating, of which 43 were caused by vessels crashing into each other, according to Coast Guard statistics. The boats collided near Star Island, which runs between Miami Beach and Miami in Biscayne Bay, said Arielle Callender, a regional spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, in a statement. Local television stations showed first responders, some in scuba diving gear, in boats around what appears to be a barge. The Coast Guard is investigating the crash.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Two children killed at Miami sailing camp when barge hit boat, authorities say
Two children have died and two more are in critical condition after a barge struck their boat and sent them overboard during a sailing camp in Miami on Monday, authorities said. All six people on the sailing boat were pulled from the water by emergency services, and four children were taken to hospital where two were pronounced dead on arrival, said Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Strasburg, a spokesman for the US Coast Guard. The six — one adult and five children — were in their last week of the sailing camp for youngsters aged seven to 15, according to the Miami Yacht Club. 'The entire MYC family is devastated by this terrible tragedy,' said Emily Copeland, the commodore of the yacht club, in a statement. Two of the six who were rescued were in 'good condition', Mr Strasburg said. Last year, there were more than 550 deaths in recreational boating in the US, of which 43 were caused by vessels crashing into each other, according to coast guard statistics. The boats collided near Star Island, which runs between Miami Beach and Miami in Biscayne Bay, said Arielle Callender, a regional spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, in a statement. Local television stations showed first responders, some in scuba diving gear, in boats around what appears to be a barge. The coast guard is investigating the crash.
CTV News
a day ago
- General
- CTV News
2 kids killed at Miami sailing camp after barge collides with their boat, authorities say
This image taken from video provided by WSVN-TV shows Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and others in boats around what appears to be a barge involved in an accident with a group of kids and an adult on a sailing boat during a sailing camp, Monday, July 28, 2025, in Miami. (WSVN-TV via AP) Two kids were killed and two more are in critical condition after a barge struck their boat and sent them overboard during a sailing camp in Miami on Monday, authorities said. All six people on the sailing boat were pulled from the water by responders, and four kids were rushed to a nearby hospital where two were pronounced dead upon arrival, said Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Strasburg, a spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard. The six — one adult and five kids — were in their last week of the sailing camp for kids from 7 to 15 years old, according to the Miami Yacht Club. 'The entire MYC family is devastated by this terrible tragedy,' said Emily Copeland, the commodore of the yacht club, in a statement. Two of the six who were rescued were in 'good condition,' Strasburg said. Last year, there were over 550 deaths in recreational boating, of which 43 were caused by vessels crashing into each other, according to Coast Guard statistics. The boats collided near Star Island, which runs between Miami Beach and Miami in Biscayne Bay, said Arielle Callender, a regional spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, in a statement. Local television stations showed first responders, some in scuba diving gear, in boats around what appears to be a barge. The Coast Guard is investigating the crash. Jesse Bedayn, The Associated Press
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
2 kids killed at Miami sailing camp after barge collides with their boat, authorities say
Two kids were killed and two more are in critical condition after a barge struck their boat and sent them overboard during a sailing camp in Miami on Monday, authorities said. All six people on the sailing boat were pulled from the water by responders, and four kids were rushed to a nearby hospital where two were pronounced dead upon arrival, said Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Strasburg, a spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard. The six — one adult and five kids — were in their last week of the sailing camp for kids from 7 to 15 years old, according to the Miami Yacht Club. 'The entire MYC family is devastated by this terrible tragedy,' said Emily Copeland, the commodore of the yacht club, in a statement. Two of the six who were rescued were in 'good condition," Strasburg said. Last year, there were over 550 deaths in recreational boating, of which 43 were caused by vessels crashing into each other, according to Coast Guard statistics. The boats collided near Star Island, which runs between Miami Beach and Miami in Biscayne Bay, said Arielle Callender, a regional spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, in a statement. Local television stations showed first responders, some in scuba diving gear, in boats around what appears to be a barge. The Coast Guard is investigating the crash.
