Commercial fisherman crashes vessel into other boats, charged with drunk boating

A Key West commercial fisherman failed in his attempt to dock a boat at a Stock Island fish house, then failed dockside sobriety tests Sept. 30, state marine officers report.

William D. Letrick, 58, was at the helm of a 25-foot open fishing boat around 2:30 p.m. when it struck and damaged docked boats at the Stock Island Lobster Co., according to a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission report.

Letrick is scheduled for arraignment Thursday in Monroe County Court on counts of boating under the influence and causing a boating accident with damage while impaired.

A witness described Letrick as "staggering and stumbling," FWC Officer Glen Way said in his report.

While still aboard his boat, "Letrick turned off his engine but had difficulty doing so," Way wrote. "He staggered a bit and claimed he was not quite sure how to turn the boat's motor off."

Once on shore, Letrick failed physical sobriety tests and refused to give a breath or blood sample.

Letrick told officers he was turning the boat toward the dock when it "suddenly went forward, causing him to fall backwards and lose control of his vessel."

One boat hit by Letrick, a 23-foot T-Craft, was damaged, said owner Arasay Gonzalez Rios. Information on possible damage to a second docked boat was not available.

This story was originally published October 8, 2014 at 11:28 AM with the headline "Commercial fisherman crashes vessel into other boats, charged with drunk boating."