With warm weather comes water and boating. Reading about a Lake County boat accident that killed a 10 year old boy at Lake Patite near Lake Villa in Illinois is a sobering example of the importance of never drinking and operating a vehicle.
The sentencing hearing involved a 51 year old Barlett, Illinois man who was arrested for drinking and having small amounts of cocaine in his system at the time of the accident. From the articles I read, it was an all around tragedy for the entire family of the child killed and his siblings witnessed the boating accident. According to articles, the family was tubing on the lake and the young boy had fallen, was bobbing in the water when his father saw a speed boat quickly approaching. According to witnesses, the boat never slowed down and struck the 10 year old while his family watched.
One, who can imagine the horror of seeing your child struck by a speed boat and not being able to prevent it? Two, imagine the horror of striking another human being with your vehicle? Defense attorneys asked for reduced sentence as the driver of the boat has a young 9 year old daughter with special needs. However, the Barlett man was sentenced to 10 years in prison which was four years short of the sentence requested.
Many people forget how important it is to never operate any motor vehicle when you have been consuming alcohol. Beer and the “lake” seem to go together, however, when the drivers of boats and personal watercraft are under the influence, their reaction time is slowed as well as their powers of observation. A boat or a personal watercraft can be deadly in the wrong hands. The impact of this accident on the family will be forever felt by his entire family. As well, the 51 year old man sentenced today will never be the same. Of course, prison is life changing but he still has to emotionally wrestle with taking personal responsibility for taking the life of a child. Wrestling with that personal knowledge and responsibility is not only life changing but possibly debilitating.
The attorneys at The Cagle Law Firm urge you to be safe on the water as you would be in a car. Wear life preservers as you would a seat belt and never, never let the driver consume alcohol. Falsely, we believe there is far more room for error when driving a boat, but as the example above notes, a DUI mistake can still be fatal.
If you have been injured in a boat or auto accident, you may need legal representation. Depending on the circumstances of the boating accident such as, “Where you working as an employee on a water vessel?”(Maritime Law) Or whether it was recreational boating—seeking information after an accident or injury is critical. Call our attorneys for a free consultation toll free (800) 685-3302 or locally (314) 276-1681
Source: Berger. S. Chicago Tribune–Libertyville Local. DUI boater who killed boy sentenced to 10 years. 6/14/13
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