Operator of Florida boat involved in deadly hit-and-run had prior violations
The operator of a boat that was involved in a collision that killed one person and injured several others in Florida earlier this week had been cited for numerous prior offences over the last 18 years.
Local ABC affiliate WWSB said Jeff Knight, the operator of the boat involved in the hit-and-run incident in Clearwater last Sunday night (local time), has had numerous encounters with law enforcement authorities dating back to 2007, according to documents made available by Florida's Pinellas County Court.
The charges against Knight include reckless operation of a boat, operating a boat while under the influence, and allowing his stepson, who was a minor at the time, to operate a boat during one instance in 2017.
Two other charges against Knight had been dismissed. This included one charge following the accidental death of another person as he was disembarking from Knight's boat in 2019.
Knight was operating a boat that struck a ferry with 45 embarked passengers on Sunday night, resulting in one death and numerous injuries. Local officials said his boat fled the scene shortly afterwards.
Two of the ferry's passengers suffered serious injuries and needed to be airlifted to hospital.
Jannus Live, a business under the Knight Global Entertainment conglomerate owned by Knight, has since issued a statement on its Facebook page urging the public to exercise, "compassion and patience as the facts surrounding this heartbreaking incident continue to emerge."