Columbia Boating Accident Kills One, Man Charged With Felony BUI

October 8, 2019

The weekend boating retreat at Lake Murray turned into a tragedy for a family of three when another boat crashed into them. The accident took place on Saturday, September 21 at Lake Murray in Columbia. Columbia boating accident kills one, man charged with felony BUI. It resulted in the death of Stanley Virgil Kiser, 68, who was with his wife and daughter at the time. The wife has sustained severe injuries, losing her leg. The daughter has also been hospitalized.

Tracy Gordon, 53, has been charged with boating under influence. Authorities believe that Gordon was drunk when his cigarette boat rammed into Kiser’s boat and caused the accident. Gordon’s wife was with him on the cigarette boat at the time of the accident. Both suffered no injuries.

A number of local agencies responded to the incident and reached the site of the tragedy. These included the Columbia Fire Department, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and the Sheriff’s Department of the Richland County.

Gordon has been charged with three counts of felony BUI. Felony BUI carries stiff penalties in the state of South Carolina. A BUI incident is regarded as felony when it results in bodily harm or death of another. The punishment for felony BUI is jail time of up to 25 years, with a minimum of 1 year behind bars. At the same time, the perpetrator may also be fined up to $10,000 with a minimum of $5,000. Gordon may face also civil penalties and litigation over the wrongful death and personal injuries of Kiser and his family.

Gordon has been presented by the police authorities at the Richland County court. The court has ordered him to wear a GPS tracker and surrender his passport. He was granted a bond after paying $100,000 as surety this Friday, September 26.

If you have been in an accident, contact us today for assistance.