A North Carolina man accused of drunkenly crashing his boat into a group of swimmers—killing a 10-year-old girl and causing a woman to lose her leg—now faces second-degree murder charges along with his girlfriend.
Quinten Gregory Kight, 40, was driving the boat on Aug. 2 when he struck three swimmers about 100 feet from shore in the Shearon Harris Reservoir, according to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. The crash killed Brooklyn Mae Carroll and led to the amputation of Jennifer Stehle’s left leg. Stehle is the mother of one of Brooklyn’s friends.
Kight and the vessel’s owner, 56-year-old Annemarie Flanigan, were already charged with death or serious injury by impaired boating. Prosecutors allege Flanigan knew Kight was drunk at the time and later wrote a false statement claiming she hadn’t seen the crash and only arrived after being called.
Brooklyn’s family released a statement thanking law enforcement, prosecutors, and the community for their support, saying they would continue to honor her life and “the light that she brought to so many.”
Stehle and her brother expressed gratitude for the “lifelines” of meals, visits, messages, and prayers during her recovery, saying they could feel the strength of that support.
District Attorney Jeff Nieman told the court last week that investigators found 39 beer cans in the boat, plus about six more believed to have been on board during the crash. Witnesses reported passengers “shotgunning” beers. Kight was allegedly not watching the water ahead but looking back at people on an inner tube he was towing. He had at least 10 passengers on board, including two children.
Authorities took a blood sample to determine Kight’s alcohol level, but results have not been released.
Brooklyn was laid to rest Friday. A GoFundMe page describes her as “a light in every room she entered” whose “laughter, kindness, and energy” brought joy to all who knew her.
Kight’s next court date is set for Aug. 20. He also faces a pending hit-and-run case in Moore County, and court records show he pleaded guilty to DUI in New Mexico in 2010.
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