Ski boat driver charged after boat collision kills 3 and injures several others in Chambers County
MONT BELVIEU, Texas (KTRK) -- One person has been charged in the boat collision that killed three people and injured several others in Chambers County.
According to Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne, the incident happened Sunday around 7:31 p.m. at Hugo Point Park at Old Lost River and Cross Bayou.
Hawthorne says an ongoing investigation revealed a large ski boat struck a bass boat carrying seven people. Three of the seven on the bass boat died, including the driver.
Three people were taken by helicopter to the hospital, one person was taken by an ambulance and another was treated at the scene.
There were five people on the ski boat. Four of them suffered minor injuries.
The Chambers County Sheriff's Office released the names of the people who died in the crash.
Laura Kay Grant, 48, of Mont Belvieu, and William Robert Bowles, 36, of Baytown were pronounced dead by Justice of the Peace Precinct 6. Zachary Jackson Miles, 29 of Beach City, died at the hospital.
Investigators said the driver of the ski boat, 23-year-old Jacob Vernon Breaux of Baytown, is charged with three counts of intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle and two counts of intoxication assault with a vehicle with bonds totaling $200,000. He is not the owner of the boat, deputies told ABC13.
ABC13's Courtney Fischer also learned that this was the first time the ski boat was taken out on the water. It was brand new.
The sheriff said the location of this incident is the same location where another deadly accident happened a few years ago.
In news conference Monday afternoon, authorities said both boats were going 30 mph as they were coming around a bend. Both vessels tried to avoid a collision and over-corrected.
This led to the ski boat going over the fishing vessel. The crash happened in shallow water, and only one person was wearing a life vest.
No one in the ski boat had major injuries.
SEE ALSO: Who were the victims of the deadly Chambers Co. boat crash
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