Boat, jet ski crash on Florida lake; 2 hurt, boater arrested for DUI, officials say
1 hospitalized after Orange County boat, jet ski crash, fire officials say
One person was taken to the hospital after a boat and jet ski collided Saturday night, according to Orange County Fire Rescue. The crash happened right after 8 p.m. in the area of the 5600 block of Randolph Avenue, which is near Little Lake Conway.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla - A man was arrested over the weekend under suspicion of BUI (boating under the influence) after allegedly colliding with two jet skiers at the Conway Chain of Lakes in Orange County, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
Both jet skiers – a man and a woman – were transported to the hospital for injuries to their arms, according to a police report, and were considered to be in stable condition.
What we know:
On Saturday night, Aug, 15, deputies responded to Little Lake Conway, part of the Conway Chain of Lakes, in Orange County regarding reports of a crash between a boat and a jet ski on the water.
A deputy there said the boat's driver – later identified as Steven Adams, 63 – had left the scene. He was later found at a nearby boat ramp with his boat.
Adams told deputies that the jet skiers hit his boat and left. He said he waited around to check on them, but after they left, he drove the boat back to the Perkins Boat Ramp.
Deputies said Adams' eyes appeared "bloodshot and watery," and that his "movements were slow, and he was unsteady on his feet," the report said. It added that there was an alcohol smell coming from Adams' breath.
Deputies performed a number of field sobriety tests, which Adams failed, the report said. He was arrested by the Belle Isle Police Department, part of a Mutual Aid Agreement, and booked into jail under suspicion of BUI.
At the jail, he refused to take a breath test, which added another violation.
Orange County continued with the crash investigation, while Belle Isle police continued with the DUI investigation, the report said.
What they're saying:
Officials said Adams' wife and another person were on the boat with Adams at the time of the crash. Both of them repeated the same story as Adams.
Neither called 911 after the crash. Adam's wife said her phone went overboard. The other person on the boat said his phone was nearly out of battery.
Editor's note (Aug. 17): This story was updated following additional information from the arrest report.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from Orange County Fire Rescue and Orange County Sheriff's Office.