Wow, if that would have happened in Havasu it would have read "alcohol was a factor" whether it was or not. I think that's a standard line in any boating incident out here. :notam:
Becuase the driver of the boat was a cop is the reason they extended the courtesy of wording the usual "Alcohol may have been a factor" to "We don't know if it was or not" They both say the same thing, but one is oh so leading.. LOL
The owner of the boat was an off-duty Peoria police officer.
Shortly before 1 a.m. the speed boat rear-ended a moored barge
"We were sitting down here camping, we heard this boat roaring down the river,” Mynhier said. “He came around the corner, towards Peoria. He had it about full throttle, and just slammed right into the back of that barge. It hit, spun around."
Witnesses said two of them appeared to be seriously injured.
The barge was lit, but itÂ’s unclear if the boat driver ever saw it.
Alcohol or no alcohol, hauling ass at night will get ya killed or atleast "seriously injured." If you haven't gotten killed or seriously injured yet, it's not a question of "if" but rather "when."
Much like I've said in ALL my drinking and driving threads.. I could really give a shit if somebody is "impaired" (not plastered can't walk drunk) behind the wheel of a boat at night. So long as they had to idle it home what's really the worst that's going to happen? Some gel coat damage? Might be some really odd instances where someone gets tangled up with a prop, but that's rare and few and far between, and far less often then all the fatalities at night that happen from "speed" and lack of vision, experience and most importantly disorientation (remember that guy that launched his Nordic over a picnic table in Havasu?) etc..
If this guy was drunk as shit, and not hauling ass, and still didn't see the bardge I mean literally until after he hit it..(which at idle speeds would almost be unbelievable but who knows?) Would they be in the hospital right now? Probably not.. No news article, no "alcohol was probably a factor" b.s.
RD