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Several victims injured in the Clearwater Ferry crash in Florida have hired a lawyer as they dispute some of the claims regarding the crash.
On April 27, a 37-foot private vessel, with six passengers on board, plowed into the stern of the 40-foot passenger ferry carrying 45 people back from the Sugar Sand Festival, Florida authorities said. One passenger —Jose Castro, 41, of Palm Harbor, Florida — died in the crash, and 10 more were injured.
It was declared a “mass casualty event” by officials at the scene. An investigation is still underway.
The driver of the 37-foot boat, Jeffrey Knight, 62, has vehemently denied responsibility in several letters filed by his attorney to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. He also stood down from his role at a local music venue “out of respect for the victims.”
However, in the days after the crash, the Clearwater Police Department released a video capturing the moment Knight’s boat slammed into the ferry from behind, landing across the majority of the vessel's stern.
Knight has not been charged, and investigators are now trying to determine whether he remained at the scene long enough to avoid an on-water hit-and-run charge, reports the Tampa Bay Times.
His lawyer, J. Kevin Hayslett, insists his client remained at the scene and tried to assist passengers after the collision.
He also said two days after the crash, “that in the moments before the collision, the captain and many passengers were distracted by dolphins in the area, diminishing navigational awareness.”
Injury law firm Morgan & Morgan wrote a statement on behalf of the several ferry victims who hired them to investigate: “All Floridians know that operating a boat on the open water comes with the crucial responsibility to ensure the safety of all those around you. What should have been a routine trip home from the beach turned into a grisly nightmare last week, and Morgan & Morgan has been retained by several victims to investigate the collision.”
“We plan to uncover any negligence that may have contributed to this crash and are exploring every possible avenue to achieve justice for the passengers hurt in this incident.”
Marcos Pacheco and Brenda Alvarez, who was just shy of being eight months pregnant, were traveling with their 3-year-old daughter when they were injured in the crash.
“You can say that we were distracted by dolphins, but you couldn’t see our ferry?” Pacheco told the Bay Times.
“It’s almost insulting the blame is being put on us — the passengers — when we were the ones who were hit, we were the ones who were hurt. There was somebody who died on the ferry because of this accident, and there’s no apologies, just blame being thrown at us,” he added.
Florida authorities said that Knight voluntarily submitted to a breathalyzer test and no alcohol was detected in his system. He did not submit to a blood test.
Tampa attorney Stephen Barnes, who is representing six more ferry victims, also detailed the case, as WFLA reported.
“It’s not just who did or didn’t have lights on,” he said.
“My understanding is that Mr. Knight’s vessel was overtaking the ferry, and there’s a very specific rule of the road that says if you’re overtaking another vessel, you have to give right of away. He had responsibilities irrespective of whose lights were or weren’t on.”
Three of Knight’s passengers have also written sworn letters to investigators, claiming the channel was “really dark” and the crash came “out of nowhere.”
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