More details are coming out regarding the “mass casualty” boating accident in Clearwater, Florida earlier this week.
In the final days of the Sugar Sand Festival, where artists create absolutely incredible sand sculptures on Clearwater Beach, a ferry was transporting 45 people when a 37-foot boat slammed into it, tragically killing one person and sending at 12 others to the hospital.
Early reports said the boat then fled the scene and was picked up by law enforcement three miles south.
Here’s a video of the moment of impact, released by Clearwater Police:
We are now getting more information about who was driving that private boat and their side of the story.
Jeffery Knight was identified as the captain that crashed into the Clearwater ferry. He is a tycoon of sorts in the area, owning a number of bars and venues in the St. Pete area but none is as prominent as Jannus Live, an extremely cool concert venue tucked away in an alley that hosts a ton of great acts. I’ve seen Jamey Johnson and Colter Wall perform there (along with a Kenny Chesney cover band) and can say hands down it’s the best small venue I’ve ever been too.
However, Knight has a long history of poor behavior, of which this crash is just the latest incident.
According to the Daily Mail, Knight has a long rap sheet that includes three DUI’s and an accusation of “careless operation of a vessel”. He’s also currently facing a civil court case in which he’s accused of sexually assaulting a female employee at Jannus Live.
Back in 2012, he was accused in a wrongful death lawsuit when his friend slipped leaving his yacht and hit his head before falling into the water.
Regarding this boating accident, his lawyers have released letters to investigators providing his side of the story to address the “misinformation” being reported. They claim he did not flee the scene and offered to assist in transporting victims to the hospital. He also blew a 0.00, showing he wasn’t drinking at the time of the incident.
Fox13 reported part of those letters:
“Immediately after the accident, Mr. Knight directed a passenger on his vessel to call 911, and that passenger remained on the line with 911 for 12 minutes… Mr. Knight tied his vessel to the ferry in order to stabilize it and render aid. He used his boat to maneuver the ferry closer to shore so that first responders would have easier access to the passengers… [Knight] told the captain of the ferry boat he was able to transport injured individuals by water to Morton Plant Hospital … this offer was declined.”
The investigation remains ongoing but Knight’s lawyers say he only left the scene once emergency responders arrived and his boat began taking on too much water.
Regardless of anything else, this was a tragic moment for those involved on the ferry. One man lost his life and many other were injured, including a pregnant woman who feared for the life of her unborn baby, who she couldn’t feel moving after the impact.
This investigation will run it’s course and hopefully justice will be served.
As much as I love Jannus Live, you’d hope the owner was better than this… Now when you spend money there you know where the profits are going and it’s pretty unfortunate that much of them seem to go toward legal bills…
The post Owner Of Iconic Florida Music Venue Responsible For Tragic Clearwater Ferry Accident, Which Killed 1 & Injured 12 first appeared on Whiskey Riff.