Horror Ozarks Speedboat Crash That Left 8 Hospitalized

A boat careened off a lake and smashed into a house, before flipping over and hurling all of the passengers out of the vessel, leaving eight people injured.

The driver of the 2014 Nor-Tech powerboat, 47-year-old Adam Ramirez, was arrested for boating while intoxicated after the incident, which happened shortly before midnight on Saturday at the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri.

The incident comes after a spate of boat crashes in recent years, including one in the same state that killed 13 people when a tourist duck boat capsized in Table Rock Lake near Branson, back in the summer of 2018. Then, 19-year-old Mallory Beach was killed in 2019 when a boat driven by her friend Paul Murdaugh —who was murdered by his father, Alex Murdaugh, while he was still awaiting trial—crashed while he was allegedly intoxicated. And last July, a woman and child died after a boat capsized on the Hudson River in New York City, with quick-acting ferry crews managing to save the lives of the vessel's other passengers.

Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP), which is investigating Saturday's crash, posted a string of photos of the scene online, showing the devastation caused. Bricks, timber, and part of a raised deck form piles of rubble around the house, while the roof also appears to be damaged. Nearby, the still-overturned boat lies on the lawn.

On Sunday, MSHP tweeted about the incident, which was reported around 11.55 p.m. the evening before: "Troopers responded to a serious injury crash last night at the 1.5 mile mark of the main channel. The boat ran aground and struck a home, causing it to overturn, ejecting all eight passengers." The property "sustained extensive damage," officers added in a follow-up tweet.

The incident report compiled by the MSHP said that the eight people who were injured consisted of four men and four woman, ranging in age from 21 to 51. Six were listed as suffering from "serious" injuries, while two had "moderate" wounds. They were from various states; California, Illinois, Michigan and Mississippi.

Ramirez, of Huntington Beach, California, was also listed as being in a "serious" condition and was taken by EMS crews to Lake Regional Hospital in Osage Beach, Missouri, along with his passengers. Ramirez was later arrested on suspicion of being intoxicated while he was in control of the boat.

An MSHP report of the arrest states he was charged with two boating while intoxicated (BWI) offences: "BWI – serious physical injury;" and "BWI – physical injury."

Photos taken at the scene show the boat being hoisted by crane onto a trailer on Sunday to be towed away as evidence. Officers are continuing to investigate the incident, and said they were "reconstructing the crash scene" using a drone as they tried to work out how the boat lost control.

Newsweek reached out to MSHP by email requesting further information on Monday. Spokesperson Kyle Green confirmed that five of the eight people who were being treated by medical staff have now been released from the hospital. He had no further comment at this time.

Troopers were forced to warn curious bystanders to stay away from the scene. "This crash has garnered a lot of attention, with many people venturing onto the property to look at the damage," MSHP tweeted. "Please remember this is a private residence and we ask that you avoid trespassing onto their property."

Boating while intoxicated is considered a class B misdemeanor if it's a first offense. Offenders may be jailed for up to six months, fined $1,000, and be required to undergo a boating safety course. The penalties become much stiffer for subsequent offenses. A third-time BWI conviction becomes a felony that is punishable by up to four years in prison, with possible fines of up to $10,000, according to Missouri attorney Matt Fry. He specializes in defending clients from driving while intoxicated charges.

Update 7/24/23 11:34 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include further information from MSHP spokesperson Kyle Green.

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