Grand Jury Indicts Boston Man in Fatal Boston Harbor Boat Crash
A 40-year-old Boston man has been indicted in connection with a fatal boat crash in Boston Harbor this past May that killed a 24-year-old Andover woman. The Suffolk County District Attorney's office announced the indictment Tuesday afternoon, according to boston.com.
The man, Lawrence Shieh, is charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter, one count of operating a boat while intoxicated causing death, and two counts of operating a boat while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury. He also faces one count of using a boat without authority and one count of an airport security violation. Shieh turned himself in to authorities Tuesday and is expected to be arraigned Wednesday morning in Suffolk Superior Court, as reported by boston.com.
Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden said in a statement: "His reckless actions that night ended one life and dramatically changed three others, including his own."
The victim, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Dankert, 24, of Andover, died from injuries sustained when the boat crashed into a pier at Boston Logan International Airport. Two female friends, both 23, were also injured.
The Incident
The crash took place on May 13. According to prosecutors, Shieh had been drinking at several bars in the Seaport District earlier in the night. After his friends left, he remained at Reelhouse Oyster Bar, where he struck up a conversation with Dankert and two of her friends. He then allegedly offered them a ride on "his boat," though he did not own a boat. Shieh was a member of Freedom Boat Club, and the vessel he used was from that club, according to boston.com.
Authorities allege Shieh accessed a marina with a key card he was not authorized to use, and the group boarded a small twin-engine boat. The boat lacked sufficient lights for nighttime navigation, and the club had strict rules against boating at night, according to The Boston Herald.
The boat hit the runway 4R pier at about 11:20 p.m., throwing the four occupants onto rocks. Rescue efforts were challenging, as it was dark and the rocks were slippery. All four were taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, where Dankert was pronounced dead.
The Herald reported that the boat was traveling at approximately 36 mph, a speed authorities described as dangerously excessive under the conditions. Cellphone videos recovered by investigators allegedly show Shieh dancing with both hands off the wheel about six seconds before the crash, as detailed in boston.com's report.
Rescue efforts were described by the district attorney as "tremendously heroic."
The Victim
Dankert graduated in 2024 from Union College in New York, where she played soccer. She was also a graduate of Central Catholic High School in Lawrence. Notably, she worked at PTC, a software company in the Seaport.
Union College issued a statement following the incident: "Lizzie was an exceptional student-athlete; her passing is a profound loss for our campus community." The family of Dankert described her as "amazing" with a bright future.
An autopsy reportedly found that Dankert suffered a fractured skull.
Legal Proceedings and Evidence
Shieh turned himself in after the indictment and is expected to be arraigned Wednesday at 9 a.m. in Suffolk Superior Court, The Boston Herald reported. The district attorney's office and State Police have been investigating the case since May.
Evidence gathered as part of the investigation, according to boston.com's report, includes phone videos showing Shieh dancing with both hands off the wheel shortly before the crash. Surveillance video shows the boat making a hairpin turn at the time of the crash. After the crash, Shieh's blood alcohol content was recorded at 0.20, the report said.
Freedom Boat Club, which owns the vessel, said in a statement that the boat was taken "without authorization" and operated "outside the knowledge and control of the club," long after the club had closed.
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[Note: The paragraph beginning 'Persistent' removed as it was leftover and contradictory. The detail about the indictment being after a several-month investigation is not present in the source material and was removed. Last paragraph removed for redundancy.]