On Monday, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) charged a second individual in connection with the boat crash that occurred near Kingston, Ont. over the Victoria Day long weekend, killing three.
The collision occurred on May 18 around 9:30 p.m. in the Buck Bay area of Bobs Lake, about an hour north of Kingston. Forty-four-year-old Matthew Splinter drove his speedboat, the Y Wouldn’t Ya, into a fishing boat, ending up on top of it. In the fishing boat was Kaila Bearman, 21, Juliette Côté, 22, and Riley Orr, 23, all pronounced dead on scene. Five other individuals in the fishing boat, ranging in age from 21 to 44, were transported to a Kingston hospital to be treated for their injuries, with one individual requiring an airlift.
The OPP have now charged the 27-year-old male driver of the fishing boat with failing to exhibit a stern light on a power-driven vessel underway, failing to exhibit sidelights on a power-driven vessel underway, and, operating a non-human-powered pleasure craft without personal flotation devices or lifejackets of appropriate size for each person on board.
The driver, a South Frontenac Township resident, will appear at the Provincial Offences Court in Kingston on January 13, 2025.
The OPP had already laid charges against Splinter, arresting him on October 29.
During a press conference outside the Frontenac County OPP detachment on October 30, Detective Inspector Marty McConnell said that Splinter, a South Frontenac Township resident as well, had been charged with three counts of dangerous operation of a conveyance causing death, three counts of dangerous operation of a conveyance causing bodily harm, three counts of impaired operation causing death, and three counts of impaired operation causing bodily harm.
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Given the severe nature of the collision, McConnell explained that the reason it took the OPP five months to press charges against Splinter is that they wanted to conduct a full and thorough investigation. The investigation is ongoing, hence the second set of charges against the 27-year-old driver. The OPP has been working with the Office of the Chief Coroner, collision reconstructionists, and forensic identification services to investigate the crash.
McConnell did not specify what factors caused the collision, but the impaired operation charges suggest that alcohol was involved, along with a lack of appropriate lighting from the fishing boat.
“To the families who lost loved ones, to those who suffered various degrees of injury, and to everyone else who was impacted by this tragic collision, we hope that today’s announcement helps to bring some measure of resolution,” McConnell said.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include new information from the OPP.
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