CLEARWATER, Fla. — New details have emerged nearly two months after a power boat operated by Jeffrey Knight crashed into a Clearwater Ferry, leaving one dead and multiple others injured.
According to a search warrant, 62-year-old Jeffry Knight's boat did not take on water following the April 27 crash. This contradicts Knight's previous claims to a Pinellas County Sheriff's Office deputy that he left the scene because his boat was taking on water and there was an infant on board.
PCSO then towed Knight's boat to the Bellair boat ramp. Deputies noted in their report that the boat did not appear to be taking on water and was not "listing" (tilting to one side due to flooding or weight being distributed unevenly).
WATCH: Search warrant says Jeff Knight's boat did not take on water during Clearwater Ferry crash
The search warrant states that Knight did not attempt to flag down passing deputies despite having their lights and siren activated when they passed. Knight also did not contact 911 to coordinate EMS at his home for the infant on board, as he told law enforcement.
Ten people out of the 45 aboard the ferry were injured, with six listed as trauma alerts. Jose Castro, 41, was killed in the crash. Other passengers' injuries included multiple broken bones, head injuries, and internal bleeding.
Captain Kevin Cabrera Hernandez of Captain Memo’s Pirate Cruise was a witness listed on the search warrant. He tells ABC Action News Annette Gutierrez, they were returning from a sunset cruise around 8:40 p.m. when the ferry was in tow—until it wasn’t.
"As I get close, that's when we realized, oh, okay, something ran them over," said Hernandez. "That’s why their roof is collapsed, their lights are gone, that's why I couldn't find it again for a minute, because it didn't look like the ferry anymore."
Hernandez said he heard screaming, saw people putting their life jackets on, and made the Mayday call to the Coast Guard. That's when he saw the boat pull away, and leave the scene.
"I mean there's no excuse for doing that," said Hernandez.
Blair Jenkins, a passenger on Knight's boat during the incident, claimed she heard Knight saying, "My life is over," and "I'm going to lose everything" after the impact, the document states. Additionally, Jenkins and three other passengers said during their interviews that they did see a small amount of water in the boat.
Passenger Alexis Ringel also said that Knight told her to hang up when she called 911 following the collision.
"If that pans out to be true that is not okay," said Hernandez. "I mean not calling 9-1-1, that's just very strange."
The documents said based on the evidence FWC found, Knight was in violation of Florida law.
At this point, no charges have been filed against Knight.
Knight owned several businesses, including Jannus Live in downtown St. Petersburg. He stepped down from his position at Jannus following the incident, and the venue posted on Instagram that it will no longer have any affiliation with Knight out of "respect for victims of the recent Clearwater Ferry tragedy."
Knight was also involved in a 2019 crash while operating the same boat. On Sept. 2, Knight’s boat struck a 21-foot-long pontoon boat with a single 90-horsepower outboard engine, which Freedom Boat Club owned.
According to an FWC incident report obtained by ABC Action News, Knight’s boat was traveling at an estimated speed of 45 miles an hour when it hit the pontoon boat, which witnesses say was going 8 miles an hour. Three people were injured, with two women being transported as trauma alerts.
'Cruise lights' on Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office patrol cars raise questions, confusion among drivers
Every driver knows that when you see red and blue flashing lights on a patrol car, you slow down, pull over, or get out of the way.
But in Hillsborough County, drivers will also now see deputies with their lights on, but not flashing. They're called "cruise lights," and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) recently implemented their use on all patrol vehicles.
