On the evening of June 9, 2013 a boat accident occurred at the Padre Island Ski Canals area.  I Game Warden responded to the scene.  A "Tiburon" boat (temporary tag TX3634AA) driven had collided in to the shore and ran up into the dunes.  Operator and two passengers fell out of the boat before it crashed. Operator explained and demonstrated to me how he was trying to perform a 180 degree turn while on plane.  According to Operator, he was traveling 30mph when he began his turn.  While turning he accelerated to a higher speed to get the boat to spin around fast.  Operator stated that he had to accelerate into the turn in order to get the boat to turn around.  When he was in mid turn the motor hit bottom and the nose of the boat had begun to go down and he lost control of the boat.  Operator, and two subjects were ejected the boat.  Operator wasn't wearing his kill switch and the boat kept traveling at a high rate of speed and collided into the shoreline and sand dunes.  Individuals present in other boats nearby rendered assistance and turned off the boat motor and gave Operator and subjects a ride to shore.   

I took Operator to shore to do SFSTs while officers interviewed witnesses and collected evidence.  Operator did not show signs of intoxication.  Visual evidence indicated the run-a-way vessel was traveling at a high rate of speed when it struck the dune. This fact is supported by depth to which the boat’s bow was buried into the sand dune.  Operator’s statement, his actions, physical evidence and witness statements show that he disregarded the public’s safety when he tried to demonstrate a high performance maneuver in a heavily congested area where people were present in boats, swimming and in other recreational boating activities.  Operator’s speed and boat maneuvers caused him to lose control of the boat and resulting in him and his two passengers to be ejected.  Operator was also careless by not wearing his kill switch while operating his vessel in manner in which he should have known could have resulted in him losing control of his boat.  Operator was charged with reckless operation and excessive speed. (Parks and Wildlife Code 31.096).  PWC 31.096 states that: No person may operate a vessel or manipulate water skis, an aquaplane, or a similar device on the water of this state in a willful or wanton disregard of the rights or safety of others or without due caution or circumspection, and at a speed or in a manner that endangers, or is likely to endanger, a person or property.   
(After the arrest, Operator declined to answer any further questions, some areas of this report have been left blank)
Operator's boat had sustained major damages to the hull and center console.
Corpus Christi