NY boat victims' parents doubt booze caused crash

PIERMONT, N.Y. (AP) ? The parents of the bride-to-be and best man killed in a New York boating accident say they're skeptical that alcohol caused the crash.

They also said in a statement Wednesday that survivors told them none of the six people on the boat saw the barge they crashed into Friday night on the Hudson River.

Investigators have said they are looking into whether the barge was properly lighted. The Coast Guard says it was.

The crash killed Lindsey Stewart, who was to be married Aug. 10. It also killed her fiance's best man, Mark Lennon.

The groom-to-be and three other passengers were injured, including the boat's operator, Jojo John. Police say they suspect John was intoxicated and he has been charged with vehicular homicide.

His lawyer calls the crash "a tragedy."

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

The stepfather of a bride-to-be killed in a boating accident on the Hudson River said no one aboard saw the construction barge near the Tappan Zee Bridge before crashing into it.

Walter Kosik said he spoke to his daughter's fiance, Brian Bond, who told him all six people on the powerboat had their eyes on the river, but no one saw the barge's dim lights.

"What we want to talk about is the lighting on the barges," Kosik told The Journal News (http://lohud.us/1ckOoOe). "You've got two anchor lights, one on each side of the barge. With the glare off the bridge, you can't see it."

He continued: "It's just amazing that, the following day, (Gov. Andrew) Cuomo put lights on those barges, lighting it up like a Christmas tree 24 hours from when they got killed."

The New York State Thruway Authority has said that the barge lighting appeared to be functioning normally, but it remained part of the investigation.

The extra lights were added "because we wanted to go above and beyond to try and prevent something like this from happening again," spokesman Dan Weiller said.

Bond was to marry Lindsey Stewart on Aug. 10; his best man, Mark Lennon, also died. Both were 30. Bond and the three other people were injured.

Bond told Kosik that they all had about one alcoholic beverage each before Friday's crash. Boat operator Jojo John had a few drinks, Kosik said, adding, "If he was that drunk, they would not have gotten onto the boat."

John was charged with vehicular homicide in Stewart's death. He hasn't been charged in connection with Lennon's death. His lawyer called the crash "a tragedy for all of us."

The Journal on Wednesday identified the remaining two survivors as John Schumacher, 44, and Daniel Dilorgi, 28, both of Valley Cottage.

Dilorgi was recovering at home. Schumacher was in surgery Tuesday, according to his lawyer, John Pappalardo.

A funeral service for Stewart was scheduled for Thursday at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Pear River, where she was to have been wed. Lennon's funeral was set for Friday at St. John the Baptist Church in Piermont.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ny-boat-victims-parents-doubt-booze-caused-crash-162104806.html

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