Impairment, speed, lighting possible factors in fatal boat crash
A boater from Phoenix is dead and another boater is in critical condition after two boats collided nearly head-on late Wednesday on Lake Havasu.
“Alcohol and drugs are possibly a factor, along with speed and lighting conditions contributing to the crash,” a Mohave County Sheriff’s Office news release stated.
Phoenix resident Richard Keith Williams, 66, died when a 15-foot Bayliner he was aboard collided with a 22-foot Larson.
The boats were traveling about 40 mph when they collided about 10:30 p.m. The crash occurred near the Site 6 boat ramp near the southernmost part of the island in Lake Havasu City, Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Anita Mortensen said.
Williams and the injured boater were on the Bayliner. The unidentified boater had been pulled from the water by a good Samaritan by the time boating deputies arrived. He was taken to Havasu Regional Medical Center and reported to be in critical condition.
It wasn’t known how many people were aboard the Larson, but no injuries were reported from that craft.
The accident was still under investigation Thursday morning.
Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Marv_in_Vegas on Twitter.
