16-Year-Old Teen Killed in Florida Pinellas County Boat Crash
A teen girl was killed in a boating crash in Pinellas County overnight.
WTSP.com reports that 16-year-old Rachel Herring was one of six passengers riding in a boat piloted by a 16-year-old male at about 12:30 a.m. in Indian Shores. The group was leaving a house party, traveling north on the waterway when the boat struck a channel marker. Authorities believe that the 24-foot boat was probably traveling too fast when the crash occurred.
The seven teens in the boat were all ejected by the crash. None was wearing a life jacket. Sometime after the crash, authorities found Herring’s body floating in the water. Authorities also report that one other teen was injured in the crash and received treatment at a local hospital.
Authorities are charging the boat’s driver with negligent homicide, says Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri. Though authorities suspect that there may have been alcohol and/or drug use among the teens, authorities reportedly do not suspect that the boat’s pilot was under the influence at the time of the crash.
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Attorney John H. (Jack) Hickey and his team handle a wide range of cases, including but not limited to cruise ship accidents, admiralty and maritime accident cases, medical malpractice, wrongful death, premises liability, railroad accidents and car accidents. We represent victims from all over the nation, the world and the state of Florida.