The Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have been investigating the deadly Clearwater Ferry crash for three months and charged 62-year-old Pinellas County businessman Jeffry Knight and the Clearwater Ferry captain in connection with the incident.

Florida

Jeff Knight has been arrested and charged with multiple felonies after his boat collided with a Clearwater Ferry, resulting in one death and several injuries. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) alleges that Knight fled the scene after the crash, and he faces eight felony counts related to leaving the scene of a boating accident involving injury or death. The ferry captain has also been charged with a misdemeanor for failing to maintain a proper stern light on the vessel.

Investigators conducted an extensive inquiry, including witness interviews and vessel reconstructions. Knight's attorneys dispute the claim that he fled, stating he remained at the scene for 11 minutes, and argue the ferry's lack of a stern light contributed to the collision. The legal process is ongoing, and prosecutors have not indicated whether the case will go to trial or be resolved through a plea.

Jeff Knight charged in Clearwater Ferry crash

to the family of a man killed in that deadly Clearwater Ferry crash that happened in April. Charges have been filed now against the boater who crashed into the ferry and also the ferry captain. Jeff Knight was arrested last night on felony charges, leaving the scene and the ferry captain we learned today also faces a charge a misdemeanor for failing to maintain a proper stern light. That's a white light off the back of the boat. FOX 13's Genevieve Curtis is live in Clearwater tonight with the very latest on this, Genevieve. Yeah, Mark. After a three month investigation, Jeff Knight was booked into jail on charges for what FWC says he did after the Clearwater Ferry crash, and after multiple questions were posed to officials today, it is clear much of what happened that night. Has yet to be made public. Our hope is that the conclusion of this investigation can be the first step and bringing closure and justice to his family and all those affected by this event. A conclusion to an investigation setting the stage for a legal fight over the Clearwater Ferry crash, Florida Fish and Wildlife investigators arrested Jeffrey Knight Monday at the airport. He returned from the Bahamas to face eight charges of fleeing the scene of a boat accident with injury or death. 45 people were on the ferry in April when night's boat crashed into the back of it. Investigators say Knight's charges are for the seventh seriously injured victims and Jose Castro, who died. My daughter's missing every day. There's no explanation. There's no peace. There's. No happiness that can fill the hole that he's left. Castro's family says they appreciate the felony charges after three months of wondering if there would be accountability for their loss. My brother was a happy person. He was. An amazing father. I want to for some. We didn't deserve he didn't deserve to die like this. Investigators say they spent months going through the evidence, which includes almost 50 witness interviews and multiple reconstructions. We conducted a reconstruction on both vessels completely mapping it with some sophisticated technology and then reconstructing. Some of those crash sites. Digitally. We also conducted a reconstruction. Um in reality, where we were able to test drive the vessel that was in question. But when we asked, they declined to say how fast night was traveling, though he is charged with a misdemeanor for failing to maintain a safe speed and proper lookout as we brought that charge of safe speed because the navigation rule that governs safe speed says that you should be traveling in a safe speed to avoid or attend to a risk of collision. And based on the fact that the collision did occur, that navigation rule was violated. His most serious charges are not for the crash itself, but for his actions after FWC says he fled. Nights. Attorneys have argued and again in a statement today say that night stayed on the scene for 11 minutes. FWC says there was no evidence that night's boat was taking on water, and they offered some insight into how they arrived at the charges. A lot of 911 call evidence revealed that there was a significant change in the demeanor of what was occurring, and there was an attempt to leave the scene. Which was then tracked down the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office ultimately stopped the night. A good distance from the scene, and this is a discussion with those deputies did not indicate any desire to remain at the scene, and that's what led us to the charges we have today. And nights. Attorneys have long blamed the ferry for not having its stern lights on in response to the FWC charge. A spokesperson for the captain, a family spokesperson for the ferry captain, Dennis Kimmerer told us that anyone who operates a boat, no matter what they're doing, should not be allowed to turn off the lights when they're in transit. Anyone who operates a boat knows that male fat malfunctions can occur in transit and that a single light being out should not result or absolve another operator from operating at safe speeds. They say the FWC charge that the captain is now facing is without merit. Mark and Genevieve. Let me ask you about these. The felonies here. These eight counts and the prison time because I know there's a lot of people who are convicted of all of them. So if he is acquitted, he would all in all likelihood, I'll be acquitted of all of them. If he's convicted, he'd be convicted of all of them. So if he is convicted of all of them because it's still just one action. I'll be at eight times because the one death in the seven that were hurt. How much time is he looking at potentially facing? Yes. So the individual charge itself carries a maximum penalty of up to 40 years in prison. Now, I did get a chance to ask prosecutors if they were planning on taking this to trial, or if they were looking to plead this out, they said. Right now they were just focused on filing these charges and how it all plays out. We will have to wait and see. That was the last question that we were able to ask at the press conference before it ended. Yeah, just another chapter here by no means the end for sure. Genevieve. Thanks much. And as Genevieve did just mentioned here, Jeff Knight's attorney Kevin Hazel did release a statement today disputing the claim that night fled the scene. Remember, he also said the failure of that ferry boat to have its stern light on is at the heart of the collision. In fact, he said, quote, It's ironic and frankly outrageous that night was vilified while the ferry was operating in complete violation of federal safety standards. He called the maritime equivalent of a school bus driving at night with no taillights and blaming the driver who couldn't see it. Hazel also says they look forward to setting the record straight before an impartial jury of Mr Knight's peers and that he remains deeply saddened by the events of that night. We have complete coverage on our website with a timeline of events reaction and the full statement from Knight's attorney and the ferry captain's family as well. Just head over to the Fox local app. All right,

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