Victim, boat operator’s names released in fatal Clearwater accident

The victim of Sunday night’s fatal hit-and-run boat crash in Clearwater Bay has been identified as Jose Castro, 41, of Palm Harbor. Additional details are emerging in about the incident, in which a 37-foot pleasure boat with six persons aboard struck the 40-foot Clearwater Ferry, which transports passengers to and from the mainland and the beaches.

The operator of the recreational vehicle has been identified as Jeffrey Knight.

The multi-agency investigation into the incident is ongoing. Monday afternoon, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission captain Matthew Dallarosa said the victim was one of 45 persons aboard the ferry. At least 10 were injured in what Clearwater Emergency Medical System chief Tony Tedesco called a “Level One Mass Casualty.”

Clearwater Police and Clearwater Fire & Rescue responded to a 911 call at 8:43 p.m. The United States Coast Guard received a maritime distress call from the ferry crew: “Mayday, mayday, mayday! There’s been a boat collision. The Clearwater ferry, underneath the Clearwater Memorial Causeway. The Clearwater ferry is adrift.”

“All of a sudden, we heard the first mate yelling ‘Hey! Hey! Hey!’” a ferry passenger told CNN. “We looked back behind us, and this big yacht just came through the boat.”

The ferry came to rest in shallow water. Several passengers were about to get out and walk to shore; some were aided by good Samaritans. Injuries included broken bones, along with head and soft tissue injuries. All victims were triaged at the Seminole Boat Ramp. Two people were airlifted to area hospitals. Eight others were transported by vehicle.

Screengrab from a City of Clearwater video, showing the moment before impact.

A dimly-lit video from a nearby city park shows the ferry moving slowly, eastward in the channel under the Memorial Causeway bridge, and overtaken by a recreational boat – identified as a blue-and-white center console model – operated at a much higher rate of speed. Both vessels’ running lights are clearly visible. The smaller craft strikes the ferry’s stern, on its starboard side, and its bow is seen rising almost vertically in the air, over the ferry.

The brief video ends with the recreational vessel backing up and separating from the ferry. It’s not clear what happened next, although officials say the smaller boat left the scene within minutes and came ashore at the Belleair Boat Ramp, more than three miles away.

Knight submitted to a Breathalyzer test, authorities said; the presence of alcohol was not detected.

The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Coast Guard are also taking part in the investigation.

The Clearwater Ferry is operated by the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority. Service began in 2015.

This is a developing story.