Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 27
Boston Grand Jury Indicts Lawrence Shieh in 24-Year-Old's Fatal Boat Crash
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 27

Boston Grand Jury Indicts Lawrence Shieh in 24-Year-Old's Fatal Boat Crash

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 27

Summary

  • Suffolk County prosecutors indicted Lawrence Shieh, 40, on involuntary manslaughter, boat OUI causing death and injury, unauthorized boat use, and a Logan Airport security violation in the May 13 crash that killed Elizabeth Dankert, 24.
  • A .20 blood-alcohol reading, cellphone video, and boat data underpin the case: prosecutors said Shieh had been bar-hopping, was dancing with both hands off the wheel six seconds before impact, and hit 36 mph before striking Pier 4R.
  • The boat had been taken from Freedom Boat Club without permission and lacked exterior lighting, though Shieh was a club member, prosecutors said.
  • Dankert died of blunt-force injuries, while two other women and Shieh suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the crash near a Logan runway.
  • A judge set $25,000 cash bail with no-contact, no-boating, and no-alcohol conditions; Shieh was released and is due back in court on Oct. 8.

Insights

How did a highly intoxicated man easily bypass marina security to launch a fatal midnight joyride in Boston Harbor?
Will a boat club's strict nighttime rules truly shield them from liability after a member's unauthorized and tragic harbor collision?
Could GPS geofencing or engine interlock technology have prevented this deadly boating crash before the vessel even left the dock?