A 10-year-old girl has been killed after a suspected drunken boat driver ploughed into a group of swimmers in North Carolina. Brooklyn Mae Carroll, a fifth grader, died on Saturday when Quinten Gregory Kight, 40, allegedly drove his boat into swimmers at Shearon Harris Lake.
Kight faces felony and misdemeanour impairment charges. He is being held at Chatham County Jail pending a court appearance. Investigators found 39 empty beer cans on his boat, seven of which appeared to have been 'shotgunned', according to District Attorney Jeff Nieman.
The crash also seriously injured Jennifer Stehle, a friend of Brooklyn's mother. Stehle's left leg was amputated above the knee after she was airlifted from the scene. Officials say Kight was operating a wake boat towing an inner tube when he struck three people swimming.
A GoFundMe page set up for the family describes Brooklyn as 'a light in every room she entered, with an infectious smile, a loving heart, and a spirit that touched everyone who knew her'. The fundraiser has raised over $33,000 of a $60,000 goal to help cover expenses and allow her parents time off work.
Chatham County Sheriff Mike Robertson called the incident 'a heartbreaking accident, but one that was preventable'. He urged people not to mix alcohol with watercraft operation, saying 'it only takes a moment for lives to be changed forever'.
