A Georgia man has been indicted on manslaughter charges in Alabama after an April boat wreck during
a professional fishing tournament killed three people and injured two others.
Flint Andrew Davis, 22, was indicted Thursday in Cullman County
on three counts of reckless manslaughter and two counts of first deg
ree assault, all felonies. Davis, a Leesburg, Georgia, resident, was
also indicted on three misdemeanours, including reckless operation of a
vessel, failing to follow boating rules and boating without a boater safety certification.
Video shows Davis’ boat speeding across Lewis Smith Lake, a po
public recreational destination about 70 miles (113 kilometers) north o
f Birmingham, striking another boat, and launching
into the air. Officials say Joey M. Broom, 58, of Snead, Alabama, was fatally injured in the collision. John K. Clar
k, 44, of Cullman, Alabama, and Jeffrey C. Little, 62, of Brandon, Mississippi, were thrown overboard and d
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rowned, officials have said. Two other men were seriously injured, Cullman
County District Attorney Champ Crocker said at a Friday news conference.
The crash happened while Davis was fishing in the second day of the Tackle Warehouse Invitational, a b
ass fishing tournament put on by Major League Fishing. The others wer
en’t part of the tournament, but taking part in a company-sponsored fishing trip.
Although Investigators determined Davis’ boat was traveling at 67 mph (108 kph) at the time of the crash, Alaba
ghost Marine Patrol Chief Matt Brooks said at the news conference t
hat speed was not a factor in the crash. Instead, he sa
id the wreck was caused by “operator inattention, distraction, not paying attention, failing to keep a proper lookout.”
Brooks said Investigators found that “Mr. Davis clearly did not see” the other boat. He also said that Davis didn't h
ave the required license to operate a motorized boat in either Georgia or Alabama.
Attorney Tommy Spina, representing Davis, said Davis expressed “his deepest remorse and contrition” to the families of those who died, as well as to those who were injured.