It is alleged that this "Boater" drove his boat while intoxicated into
the side of a cruiser. The accident killed a five year old passenger and
injured another.
Worse, instead of helping, this outstanding citizen swam to an nearby
island and hid while volunteers searched for him.
Here is the sickening story:

http://www.syracuse.com/news/poststa...8273305710.xml

To avoid the questionaire on the link:

Man charged with BWI in fatal crash
September 28, 2003
By Dick Clarke
Staff writer

A Van Buren man was charged with boating while intoxicated after a crash
Friday night on the Seneca River that killed a 5-year-old boy, Onondaga
County sheriff's officials said Saturday.

James M. Wehr, 42, of 112 Seneca Ave., Van Buren, was missing after the 7:22
p.m. crash, and divers searched the river near Community Park in Van Buren
for nearly 41/2 hours before stopping for the night. Deputies later found
him at his house shortly after midnight.

Wehr apparently had been hiding somewhere during the search, Undersheriff
Warren Darby said Saturday.

Wehr was charged with boating while intoxicated, reckless operation,
imprudent speed and leaving the scene of the accident. Sheriff's officials
declined to comment on Wehr's blood alcohol content.

When questioned about possible additional charges, Darby said, "It was a
motor vehicle accident that caused a death. The DA may look and see if he
wants to bring this in front of the grand jury - it could possibly be
vehicular manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide."

Darby said a sheriff's department investigation determined that Wehr drove
his 20-foot Bayliner into the front of a 35-foot cruiser, causing the crash
near the boat launch at the park, also called Lions Club Park. The accident
was in Van Buren just outside the village of Baldwinsville and east of Lock
24.

The driver of the cruiser, Michael Chesebro, 49, of 101 Seneca Ave., Van
Buren, was not charged. Chesebro and two passengers in his boat were not
hurt.

"In everything we've checked, the driver of the cruiser was in no way
responsible," Darby said. "He had the proper lights, he was going below the
posted speed limit of 5 mph.

"We've concluded that the other boat was probably going between 25 and 30
knots," Darby said. That's about 29 to 35 mph.

Details of the crash had been sketchy Friday night, as sheriff's
investigators sought to determine what happened.

Wehr had two children in his boat, Trey Griffis, 5, and Chase Kelly, 8.
Griffis suffered head trauma and was declared dead at University Hospital
soon after the crash, Darby said. Kelly was treated at University and
released.

Both boys lived at 34 Curtis Ave., Baldwinsville, but were not related,
Darby said. Griffis' mother and Kelly's father live together, he said. Darby
said Wehr is Griffis' step-grandfather, "as far as anyone can determine."

After the search of the river ended about 11:45 p.m. Friday, a neighbor
spotted Wehr walking toward his house on Seneca Avenue, which runs along the
river near the park. The neighbor called 911.

A short while later, deputies went to Wehr's house, questioned him and
placed him under arrest.

Wehr was arraigned Saturday in Baldwinsville Village Court before Judge
Elijah Huling Jr. He pleaded innocent and was taken to the Justice Center
jail. Bail was set at $2,500 cash or $5,000 bond. He was released on bail.

"We've turned the investigation over to the district attorney's office,"
Darby said.

Donna Stevens, a neighbor on Curtis Avenue, said Griffis had not lived there
long. She said he and his mother had just moved in with Chase Kelly and his
father, Adam.

"I can say he was a real nice little boy," she said. "He loved to come over
to see the frogs in the little pond we have."

The DA's going to lose the guy. $2500 bail, and he's going to decide later
if it's vehicular manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide??? That
defendant will be in the wind soon - watch the story.

"Jim Brinson" wrote in message
...
It is alleged that this "Boater" drove his boat while intoxicated into
the side of a cruiser. The accident killed a five year old passenger and
injured another.
Worse, instead of helping, this outstanding citizen swam to an nearby
island and hid while volunteers searched for him.
Here is the sickening story:


http://www.syracuse.com/news/poststa...-11/1064738273
305710.xml

"Floyd in Tampa" wrote
To avoid the questionaire on the link:

Thanks.

Yeah, this was just a few miles from my camp on Cross lake. I have
traveled this river before and it sickens me to think that this could
happen. Not to mention the 5 yr old kid. There are a few hillbilly bars
on these waterways up here and you need to be very carefull. I can lay
in my bed at night during the weekends at camp, and just listen to some
of these guys flying down the lake after leaving the bars. Throttles
wide open and headed for the river to get home. It is very scary.

Jim Brinson wrote:

It is alleged that this "Boater" drove his boat while intoxicated into
the side of a cruiser. The accident killed a five year old passenger and
injured another.
Worse, instead of helping, this outstanding citizen swam to an nearby
island and hid while volunteers searched for him.
Here is the sickening story:

http://www.syracuse.com/news/poststa...8273305710.xml


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I was thinking about this last night ... I guess I didn't have enough of my
own problems to worry about.

I was imagining it from the perspective of the skipper of the 35 footer. It
sounds as if he might have been trapped, he was near a boat launch and going
below 5mph. Probably not much room to play with ... trapped in that area he
must have had to watch fairly helplessly while he got rammed.

That there were no injuries aboard his boat and that he was hit on the bow
makes me wonder if he saw it coming and maneuvered to keep his bow between
him and the other boat.

Either that or it was a complete surprise and he was just lucky. Some luck
though.

Imagine the sound it must have made, a 20 foot Bayliner would weigh what,
about 6 or 7 tons? That's a lot of momentum and the impact would have been
tremendous at 25 knots. The aftermath would be a nightmare, if the driver of
the ramming boat didn't get the throttle back before impact the engine might
still be alive and at high rpm ... making the boat squirrel all over the
place until it got shut down -- with that impact there might have been
people in the water. What a ****ing nightmare.

Trying to account for your crew, trying to figure out who had been on the
other boat. Witnessing injuries to such young children -- the boy died from
"head trauma", I believe that would be a euphemism for something I hope
never to see.

It happened at 7:22 pm so it would be getting good and dark to add to the
confusion.

You'd have to assess your damage in the middle of all this to see if your
boat is going to sink and deal with that.

Jesus, I shouldn't have thought about it.

"Paul" wrote in message
.rogers.com...
I was thinking about this last night ... I guess I didn't have enough of
my
own problems to worry about.

I was imagining it from the perspective of the skipper of the 35 footer.
It
sounds as if he might have been trapped, he was near a boat launch and
going
below 5mph. Probably not much room to play with ... trapped in that area
he
must have had to watch fairly helplessly while he got rammed.

That there were no injuries aboard his boat and that he was hit on the bow
makes me wonder if he saw it coming and maneuvered to keep his bow between
him and the other boat.

Either that or it was a complete surprise and he was just lucky. Some luck
though.

Imagine the sound it must have made, a 20 foot Bayliner would weigh what,
about 6 or 7 tons? That's a lot of momentum and the impact would have been
tremendous at 25 knots. The aftermath would be a nightmare, if the driver
of
the ramming boat didn't get the throttle back before impact the engine
might
still be alive and at high rpm ... making the boat squirrel all over the
place until it got shut down -- with that impact there might have been
people in the water. What a ****ing nightmare.

Trying to account for your crew, trying to figure out who had been on the
other boat. Witnessing injuries to such young children -- the boy died
from
"head trauma", I believe that would be a euphemism for something I hope
never to see.

It happened at 7:22 pm so it would be getting good and dark to add to the
confusion.

You'd have to assess your damage in the middle of all this to see if your
boat is going to sink and deal with that.

Jesus, I shouldn't have thought about it.




a 20' Bayliner would be maybe 2500# max. Still a lot of energy to expend.
Could hole a cruiser in the side, but a bow helped save the big boat. Still
a frightening experience. I was stopped at a signal light with a car in
front of me with a little kid in it so could not get out of the way.
Watched a car coming up up behind me and knew he was not going to stop. Way
to fast and to close. You just brace yourself and hope for the best. Car
destroyed the back end of my first ever new car. 35 mph and no brakes.
luckily I braced myself and layed across the seat and was not injured.

a 20' Bayliner would be maybe 2500# max. Still a lot of energy to
expend.

You're right of course, I'm not sure how I managed to mangle that math. I
was calcualting down from my boat but somehow went up.

On Wednesday, October 1, 2003 at 7:33:37 AM UTC-4, Jim Brinson wrote:
It is alleged that this "Boater" drove his boat while intoxicated into
the side of a cruiser. The accident killed a five year old passenger and
injured another.
Worse, instead of helping, this outstanding citizen swam to an nearby
island and hid while volunteers searched for him.
Here is the sickening story:

http://www.syracuse.com/news/poststa...8273305710.xml

On Wednesday, October 1, 2003 at 7:33:37 AM UTC-4, Jim Brinson wrote:
It is alleged that this "Boater" drove his boat while intoxicated into
the side of a cruiser. The accident killed a five year old passenger and
injured another.
Worse, instead of helping, this outstanding citizen swam to an nearby
island and hid while volunteers searched for him.
Here is the sickening story:

http://www.syracuse.com/news/poststa...8273305710.xml

I WANT ANSWERS!!!!!!