Parents of NY Barge Accident Victims Blame Poor Barge Lighting Not Alcohol for Deaths

Posted in Barge Accidents,New York Maritime News on August 5, 2013

Parents of the two victims killed in a speed boat / barge accident on the Hudson River that occurred on Friday, July 26, said that authorities who blamed alcohol as the cause rushed to judgment. Instead they feel that evidence points to poor lighting on the barge, not DUI, as the possible cause.

Photo shows groom-to-be, Brian Bond (L), and fiance Lindsey Stewart (R) who both were riding in a speedboat that crashed into a barge on July 26, 2013. Bond was injured and  survived, however Stewart was killed in the accident.

Investigators charged Jojo John, 35, the pilot of the motorboat who was also injured, with vehicular manslaughter. The charge was based on witness statements that said John was intoxicated, however, the families of the bride-to-be and best man who were killed said, “Compounding our agony is the rush, by some, to cast blame on or even malign the victims. While police have issued serious charges against the boat’s driver, toxicology results supporting those charges will not be available for days.”

The parents said their conversations with survivors of the crash, including groom-to-be Brian Bond, made clear that the passengers “had consumed very little alcohol and considered themselves sober.”

Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the accident.

Source: Miami Herald

Blog post by barge injury lawyer Gordon, Elias & Seely, LLP