Woman dead after power boat collides with sailboat in Narragansett Bay

[Wess]

Anyone know if the powerboat has an MMSI# and AIS transceiver?  Has an AIS track ever been used in court in a case like this to show no attempt at evasive maneuvers as if running on AP...

If US Sailing actually wants to convince me they are worth anything they should be all over this filing briefs and writing letters and lobbying legislators. 

 

[ryecatsailor]

That is a good point about US Sailing.   Sent them a lot of checks over the years....

 

[weightless]

The DEM report was disappointing and borderline incompetent IMO

+1

My intuition is that a strong defense might have had some influence in that outcome, too.

 

[MR.CLEAN]

I see your point, although hitting a sailboat seems about like driving through a school zone at 45 and running over a kid. Do that and they WILL find a way to criminally prosecute. This just doesn't seem much different.

Except they already decided that he hadn't been traveling at excessive speed for the conditions.  More like driving through the school zone at the speed limit while turned around playing a game with your passengers.  That's what they would be looking for - proof that he wasn't at the helm, or that the helmsperson wasn't looking ahead of them at all.  Not a rare thing on powerboats.

 

[MR.CLEAN]

That is a good point about US Sailing.   Sent them a lot of checks over the years....

Send them emails and find out.  Maybe Ron White or Chuck Hawley who both spent a lot of time working on safety issues and accident reports?, though I'm not sure if either is still part of the org.

 

[Steam Flyer]

I see your point, although hitting a sailboat seems about like driving through a school zone at 45 and running over a kid. Do that and they WILL find a way to criminally prosecute. This just doesn't seem much different.

Except they already decided that he hadn't been traveling at excessive speed for the conditions.  More like driving through the school zone at the speed limit while turned around playing a game with your passengers.  That's what they would be looking for - proof that he wasn't at the helm, or that the helmsperson wasn't looking ahead of them at all.  Not a rare thing on powerboats.

Well, the fact that the sailboat is VERY easy to see ought to indicate that either 1- the operator was not paying attention or 2- he deliberately hit the sailboat. Those two cover the entire range, there's not a realistic third possibility.

- DSK

 

[fastyacht]

Well, the fact that the sailboat is VERY easy to see ought to indicate that either 1- the operator was not paying attention or 2- he deliberately hit the sailboat. Those two cover the entire range, there's not a realistic third possibility.

- DSK

The realistic third possivility is the bias against sailboats in the population (and therefore the courts too).

 

[Steam Flyer]

Well, the fact that the sailboat is VERY easy to see ought to indicate that either 1- the operator was not paying attention or 2- he deliberately hit the sailboat. Those two cover the entire range, there's not a realistic third possibility.

The realistic third possivility is the bias against sailboats in the population (and therefore the courts too).

Agreed on that, I meant the actions of the motorboat operator

It seems incredible to me that any person can kill another with a motor vehicle... in this case a boat, sure.... and our court system says "Yeah whatever, get out of my office."

I've experienced this once before, one of my closest sailing friends and long time crew was killed while sailing by a motorboater who did not even get a scolding or the equivalent of a traffic ticket.

So now we all know how to get away with murder. Lure your intended victim onto a sailboat (or a bicycle)

FB- Doug

 

[Bruno]

Except they already decided that he hadn't been traveling at excessive speed for the conditions.  More like driving through the school zone at the speed limit while turned around playing a game with your passengers.  That's what they would be looking for - proof that he wasn't at the helm, or that the helmsperson wasn't looking ahead of them at all.  Not a rare thing on powerboats.

I see this applied daily, rather than impose an arbitrary speed limit on vessels there seems to be a desire to allow them to adjust their speed to best suit the conditions according to the skipper's judgement. This is a laudable principle (who wants to be ticketed for speeding to avoid a cleanup set in a pass?) but leads to a corollary. If it's all up to the skipper's judgement then maybe he or she should be tested and licensed to operate? With sanctions for inattention.

The prejudice amongst the ignorant is that sailboats change their headings erratically and unpredictably, as opposed to powercraft. This justifies hitting them at will because who can predict the unpredictable? As inaccurate as this may be (and we've all sailed with the helm who tacks too frequently) in this case it is an unsatisfactory explanation as the sailboat was on a fetch leg of a race and holding a steady course and speed. The primary reason I distributed the diagram was to assert this point.

Failing to see and avoid a 30'x19'x10' obstacle in your path is not inadvertance. And in this case I believe it must have been the powerboat that made an abrupt course change leading to the collision and death. That the LEOs and prosecutors are afraid to make this argument publicly is not satisfactory.

 

[fastyacht]

I see this applied daily, rather than impose an arbitrary speed limit on vessels there seems to be a desire to allow them to adjust their speed to best suit the conditions according to the skipper's judgement. This is a laudable principle (who wants to be ticketed for speeding to avoid a cleanup set in a pass?) but leads to a corollary. If it's all up to the skipper's judgement then maybe he or she should be tested and licensed to operate? With sanctions for inattention.

The prejudice amongst the ignorant is that sailboats change their headings erratically and unpredictably, as opposed to powercraft. This justifies hitting them at will because who can predict the unpredictable? As inaccurate as this may be (and we've all sailed with the helm who tacks too frequently) in this case it is an unsatisfactory explanation as the sailboat was on a fetch leg of a race and holding a steady course and speed. The primary reason I distributed the diagram was to assert this point.

Failing to see and avoid a 30'x19'x10' obstacle in your path is not inadvertance. And in this case I believe it must have been the powerboat that made an abrupt course change leading to the collision and death. That the LEOs and prosecutors are afraid to make this argument publicly is not satisfactory.

I agree with you.

I think we should only be starting our pressure on the RI gfovernment.

More pressure needed.

I like hte ida of US Sailing involvement. Tip: the new president is a Rhode Island native and grew up sailing in Jamestown!

 

[SloopJonB]

This story is starting to resemble that cop on the lake in Cali.

Maybe this guy can run for Mayor or the Senate later.

 

[Ishmael]

This story is starting to resemble that cop on the lake in Cali.

Maybe this guy can run for Mayor or the Senate later.

Hell, just make him President and be done with it.

 

[KC375]

This story is starting to resemble that cop on the lake in Cali.

Maybe this guy can run for Mayor or the Senate later.

That would be Russell Perdock, a command staffer with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Don't forget to use his name as it keeps his evil more accessible in Google searches.

 

[On The Hard]

Bump - Needs to stay on the front page. Justice needs to be done

 

[Snaggletooth]

Whille I adgree with you, theires thoise that dointe.  Apparentley the ritte dogges halve theire bones and our happey with that.  Justisse needes tobe persued by alle. IMHO.

 

[Bruno]

Happy New Year.

 

[Hukilau]

Anything new on this?

 

[cbulger]

nope - unlikely to be, especially in current environment

Hoping to hold 31st New England 100 in August (we lost Sandra at last years event)

All facts seem to point to negligent power boat driving by Teixiera.  He just lawyered up and bunkered up - not even a condolence note or card.  Hard to blame him for layering up, sad he couldn't find a way to express sorrow at taking a life.  But like countless biker killed by bad drivers - the system favors the driver, unless their is airtight evidence of the negligence such as alcohol, witnesses, confession, texting records etc..  

 

[Snaggletooth]

Cane Rhode Ilande desigenate such resisdentes as wrecklesse killeres throuh the driveres licenses?  Juste a thouht, kinda licke bening a organ donnore.                     

 

[KC375]

nope - unlikely to be, especially in current environment

Hoping to hold 31st New England 100 in August (we lost Sandra at last years event)

All facts seem to point to negligent power boat driving by Teixiera.  He just lawyered up and bunkered up - not even a condolence note or card.  Hard to blame him for layering up, sad he couldn't find a way to express sorrow at taking a life.  But like countless biker killed by bad drivers - the system favors the driver, unless their is airtight evidence of the negligence such as alcohol, witnesses, confession, texting records etc..  

It all depends on how you feel about taking responsibility for the consequences or your own actions...

If you don’t believe in personal accountability for your own decisions and actions then by all means lawyer up and use all the tools available to avoid being an ethical and contributing member of society

 

[Bruno]

Thinking about her death lately. Seems wrong that the perp keeps his boat and the use of it. It must grate a bit to see @Last on the water.