14 DAY TRIAL // A teen crashing a boat while maneuvering it drunk near Lyons, New York got arrested after getting two people injured.
According to the Democrat and Chronicle, 19-year-old Tyler J. Ocwieja of Webster crashed the boat on Sodus Bay, in Wayne County. The crash took place at roughly 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 3.
Wayne County sheriff’s deputies reported that Ocwieja had been drinking. The incident followed a fireworks show which lit up the bay.
He was intoxicated and rode the boat into a breakwall. Said wall is built out of stone and concrete, and the teen hurt himself and the three other people on the boat.
He was accompanied by three friends, one of whom was thrown out of the boat. 18-year-old Liam E. Wheatley of Penfield slammed into the wall and broke his ankle. He was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital and he has already been released.
Michael A. Dodge, 19, of Webster, and Nicholas C. Pizzicuto, 19, of Penfield, were also on the boat. They only suffered minor injuries and paramedics treated them on the spot.
The Wayne County fire department and the U.S. Coast Guard were on the scene helping out the teenagers. Ocwieja has been arrested after the incident.
He was charged on several counts, for refusing to take a breathalyzer test and reckless operation of the boat.
He was also charged with driving the vessel faster than 5 mph (8 kph) within 100 feet (30 meters) of shore. He is facing counts of reckless endangerment for jeopardizing the lives of his friends.
Several July 4 accidents followed the boating crash in Sodus Bay. As we wrote, 34 people were injured when fireworks went off on the ground in Simi Valley, California.
"The fireworks were so close you could see them on the ground. [...] It never happens this way. People were screaming," witness Annisa Wynn described.