A man is facing vehicular homicide charges after a deadly boating accident near downtown Clarksville, Tennessee, according to WSMV in Nashville.
The man, Doug Jackson, and four other friends were boating when, as a joke, he pushed two of his friends into the water. However, unbeknownst to him, one of his friends, Stephanie Burns, a 21-year-old mother, could not swim.
At that point, Jackson turned the boat around to go back and retrieve his two friends, but in the process, he ran them over. Both Burns and the other friend in the water, Aaron Santoyo, sustained injuries from being struck by the boat.
The boat propeller cut Santoyo’s head and hand, and Burns sustained serious injuries to her hip, torso, chest, and arms that eventually proved fatal.
According to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and a warrant issued for Jackson’s arrest, before Burns or Santoyo were helped, Jackson told his other friends to throw all the beer cans and alcohol from the boat and said, “Let’s get our stories straight.”
Jackson is now in custody. He is facing charges for vehicular manslaughter, tampering with evidence, boating without a license, boating without registration, and contributing alcohol to individuals under 21 years old.
The Boston Jones Act attorneys at Latti Associates, LLP have represented victims of recreational boating accidents for over 50 years.
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At 17 percent, alcohol use was the leading contributor to fatal boating accidents in 2012.