Wednesday, May 20, 2015

INVESTIGATION CONTINUING INTO FATAL ROANOKE SOUND BOAT CRASH THAT KILLED 1 AND INJURED ANOTHER







MAY 19, 2015

MANTEO, N.C.

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Law Enforcement says it will be at least the end of next week before a report is completed about a weekend boat collision in Roanoke Sound that killed one man and injured another.

Lt. Mark Rich said Tuesday investigators are trying to figure out what happened Saturday evening near Banana Island, a popular gathering spot on the northeast shore of Roanoke Island.

“We are still in the process of reconstructing the vessels and determining what happened,” Rich said.

Danuel Midgett Jr., 25, of Manteo died after two boats collided. A passenger in one of the boats was hospitalized with serious injuries.

Two people were on board each vessel at the time of the crash around 6 p.m. Saturday, but other details have not been released because the inquiry is still pending.

Wildlife Enforcement Officer David Midyette is leading the probe for the agency.

Investigations of boating accidents of this nature usually take about two weeks to complete, according to Rich. Following N.C. Wildlife’s probe, the findings would be presented to the District Attorney’s Office, if necessary.

“We handle these just like you would a vehicular accident,” Rich said.

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BOATS CRASH IN ROANOKE SOUND, 1 DEAD, 1 INJURED

MAY 18, 2015

MANTEO, N.C. (WAVY) – A boat crash on the Roanoke Sound killed one man and injured another person Saturday.

10 On Your Side has learned from family members that 25-year-old Danuel Midgett died.

Officials with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission say two boats collided in the water off Mother Vinyard Road.

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission says three people were on one boat and two people were on a second boat. They say they are still in the early stages of their investigation.

“One boat definitely sustained more damage than the other,” said David Midyette, NCWRC master officer. “We still have to photograph both vessels and really look into them deeper and figure out what damage occurred where.”

Midyette would not confirm if Midgett was operating a boat at the time of the crash.

NCWRC says they will work to determine the cause of the accident in the coming days. They will also be looking into potential criminal offenses.

Midgett graduated from Manteo High School in 2007 and worked for UPS and Atlantic Dominion.

A memorial service will be held May 21 at 2 p.m. at Manteo Baptist Church