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 with the boat. 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 Jones Act attorneys at Latti Associates, LLP have been representing the victims of recreational boating accidents for over 50 years. If you were the victim of a maritime injury or someone you love suffered a wrongful death, our Boston maritime attorneys have the expertise, experience and resources to bring to justice those responsible and get you the compensation you deserve. For more information or to discuss your case, contact us today at (617) 523-1000 for a free consultation.
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Latti Associates’s Little Extra: At 17 percent, alcohol use was the leading contributor to fatal boating accidents in 2012.