The man accused of operating a boat while impaired in a crash that killed a young girl and cost another woman her leg appeared in court Monday to face a felony charge. Quinten Kight, 40, is charged with operating a motor vessel “while under the influence of an impairing substance,” unintentionally causing death, according to an arrest warrant.
Investigators allege Kight steered his boat into a group of swimmers at Harris Lake in Chatham County on Saturday afternoon. During Monday’s court session, Chatham County District Attorney Jeff Nieman revealed that investigators discovered 39 empty beer cans on Kight’s boat.
Additional alcohol containers were found outside the vessel and are believed to have been brought aboard by those with Kight. Nieman said witness statements indicated that everyone onboard, including Kight, was looking backward at someone being towed on a raft rather than watching ahead, report from local NBC affiliate WRAL.
While multiple people were on the boat, the exact number was not specified. Kight’s bond was set at $500,000, secured. Should he post bond, he will be placed under pre-trial monitoring and required to wear an ankle bracelet.
“Obviously this is a very sad and tragic situation where we’re going to definitely have those conversations, but also give them time to grieve and process what they’ve been through,” Nieman said.
Court records show this is not Kight’s first brush with the law. In 2009, he was convicted of driving under the influence in New Mexico. He also faces pending charges for a 2023 hit-and-run in Moore County.
The crash claimed the life of 10-year-old Brooklyn Carroll, a fifth-grader at West Lake Elementary School in Cary. Another victim, Jennifer Stehle, suffered catastrophic injuries that led to the amputation of her leg. Authorities told WRAL News that Carroll and Stehle were swimming close to another boat when Kight’s vessel struck them.
“Operating a boat under any impairing substance, whether that’s drugs or alcohol, it’s extremely dangerous,” said Sgt. Claude Smith of the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. “Every year throughout the summer, we deal with a lot of different boat incidents that are alcohol- and drug-related. This is obviously an extreme example of that. It’s a very tragic accident.”
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to assist Carroll’s family with funeral expenses and memorial arrangements. The tragedy has underscored renewed calls from safety officials for boaters to avoid alcohol and drug use while operating watercraft.