A North Carolina boater and his girlfriend have been charged with murder after allegedly colliding with a group of swimmers, killing a 10-year-old girl and requiring the amputation of a woman’s leg.
Quinten Gregory Kight, 40, the boat’s driver, and his girlfriend, Annemarie Flanigan, 56, the vessel’s owner, are charged with second-degree murder in the death of Brooklyn Mae Carroll. They were already facing charges for death or serious injury caused by impaired boating.
On August 2, Kight was driving the boat when it collided with three swimmers about 100 feet offshore on the Shearon Harris Reservoir in Chatham County, according to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. The crash killed Brooklyn and necessitated the amputation of Jennifer Stehle’s left leg. Stehle is the mother of one of Brooklyn’s friends.
Flanigan was not driving the boat or under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident. According to prosecutors, she was aware Kight was drunk.
She also made a “misleading statement” claiming she did not witness the crash and only arrived after being summoned, according to local NBC affiliate WRAL.
Brooklyn’s family issued the following statement to local media following the indictment.
We have been informed that two people have been charged with second-degree murder related to Brooklyn’s tragic death. While we will not comment at this time on the senseless acts that took Brooklyn from us, we extend our sincere thanks to the law enforcement officials and district attorney’s office who have been diligently working on her case. We also wanted to again thank the community who continues to support our family in our deepest time of need. We miss Brooklyn more than words can express, and we will continue to find ways to celebrate her incredible life and the light that she brought to so many.
Meanwhile, Stehle’s long road to recovery is just beginning. She also issued a statement.
“Our hearts are filled with gratitude for the overwhelming support our family has received. “The meals, visits, messages, and prayers have gone beyond acts of kindness,” she and her brother wrote. “They have been lifelines, holding us together through the most difficult times of our lives.
We feel the power of those prayers, and we seek God’s goodness in the way this community has rallied to support our family.
As previously reported by Law&Crime, District Attorney Jeff Nieman provided additional information during Kight’s first appearance last week.
Cops discovered 39 beer cans in the boat, as well as a half dozen more cans that authorities believe were also on board at the time of the crash, according to a courtroom report from local NBC affiliate WRAL.
There was also evidence of people on the boat “shotgunning” beers, according to Nieman. Kight’s boat was reportedly carrying at least ten people, including two children.
Nieman told the court that Kight wasn’t even looking forward while driving the boat, but rather back at the people on the inner tube he was towing.
Authorities collected a sample of Kight’s blood to determine his blood alcohol content, but the results have not yet been made public.
Brooklyn’s family laid her to rest on Friday.
“BB was a bright spot in any room she entered, with an infectious smile, a loving heart, and a spirit that touched everyone who knew her. “Her laughter, kindness, and energy brought so much joy to her family and friends,” a GoFundMe page read.
The defendants’ next court date is scheduled for August 20. Kight is currently facing a separate hit-and-run case in Moore County, and court records from New Mexico show he pleaded guilty to DUI in that state in 2010.
