A
Twin Cities boater has pleaded guilty to being drunk when he crashed
into the rocks on the St. Croix River, killing a friend aboard and then
telling a curious angler that his drinking buddy was asleep and no call
to police was needed.
Patrick
A. Puhalla, 48, of Bayport, pleaded guilty in Pierce County (Wis.)
Circuit Court last week to homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle, a
felony, and causing injury by intoxicated use of a boat, a misdemeanor.
Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 12.
Puhalla’s
blood alcohol content at the time of the June 5, 2013, crash, north of
Kinnickinnic State Park, was 0.114 percent, according to state crime lab
results. That’s above the legal limit of 0.08.
David
J. Riley, 40, of Afton was killed in the crash. Injured along with
Puhalla was passenger Daniel M. Schulte, 57, of Hudson, Wis.
One
of two people who came up to the damaged boat told sheriff’s
investigators that Puhalla said “not to call the cops” and assured them
that Riley was only sleeping, not mortally injured, according to the
criminal complaint.
Schulte
told deputies that he and the others were returning shortly before
midnight from Boat Drinks Bar in Prescott, Wis., to the Windmill Marina
in Afton, where Riley worked as harbor master, the charges continued.
Schulte
added that Puhalla was testing new navigation equipment on the boat and
traveling between 25 and 30 miles per hour. Schulte said he and Riley
were asleep at the time of the crash.
A
search of the boat by law enforcement turned up ice and cans of beer
near the operator’s post. There was also beer in the refrigerator and
numerous empty beer cans in the garbage.
Puhalla’s
criminal history in Minnesota includes a drunken driving conviction. He
also pleaded guilty to reckless driving and had dismissed a drunken
driving allegation in connection with the same incident.