ST LOUIS, MISSOURI: An allegedly intoxicated driver was arrested on Saturday, July 22 after a wild speedboat crash left eight people hospitalized in Missouri. 47-year-old Adam Ramirez of Huntington Beach was operating a 2014 Nortech motorboat at around 11.55 pm when the crash took place at Lake of the Ozarks, about 146 miles southeast of Kansas City.
Ramirez was traveling east in the waterway when he crashed the boat into the lake's shores. The impact of the crash made the vessel run aground before launching into a lakeside house and ejecting all the passengers in the process. The passengers, consisting of four women and four men ranging between 21 and 51 years old, were left gravely injured in the aftermath of the crash. The victims were immediately rushed to Lake Regional Hospital, where they are in stable condition now. Authorities noted that none of the victims were wearing life jackets or other safety equipment at the time of the accident.
Who is Adam Ramirez?
Following the crash, officials arrested Ramirez and charged him with boating while intoxicated leading to serious injury. Ramirez is known to be something of a powerboat enthusiast. His Instagram lists him as the owner of a customs shop based in California that works on engines for boats and cars. Officials noted that Ramirez's wife Cathy Ramirez was also among the passengers injured in the crash. The other victims are identified as Adam Pratt, Karlie Jones, 21, of Oak Hills, California, Roxy Soukup, 23, of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, Kylie Iltchi, 26, of Phelan, California, and husband and wife 50-year-old Amy and Matthew Hillyer, 51, of Louisville, Mississippi.
Soukup and Cathy Ramirez were rushed to the hospital with "moderate" injuries while the other passengers on the boat were all treated for "serious" wounds. It is not clear if anyone inside the house suffered injuries following the boat's collision. Photos from the scene show damage to the home and debris on the lawn. Police described the damage as "extensive." The inquiry into the incident resumed on Sunday, with photos from the scene revealing extensive damage to the house, including bricks that had broken loose from a side wall and seemed to be unstable. Tiles from the roof looked to have also come away, together with some guttering, according to Daily Mail.
Boat accident in Cape Cod
This horrific incident came a day after a 17-year-old woman died when a boat off Cape Cod collided with a jetty. The incident occurred around 9 pm on Friday, July 21, when a boat carrying six people crashed into a jetty at Sesuit Harbor, according to the Massachusetts State Police. Following a multi-agency search, Sadie Mauro’s body was discovered off Cold Storage Beach at approximately 11.30 pm. There were injuries reported, and a male teen with a head injury was sent to the hospital for treatment. It is uncertain what caused the collision or whether any charges will be filed in connection with it.
