Miami baseball star Jose Fernandez was found to be at fault for a boat crash that killed him and two passengers last year, according to Florida officials, who determined that his reckless and impaired driving caused the vessel to collide with a rock jetty.
José Fernández boat crash: Who is to blame for José Fernández death?
According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigators, Fernandez, a dominant Marlins pitcher, was driving at full throttle at the time of the early morning accident in September 2016.
According to the report, the 24-year-old could have faced criminal charges for boating while intoxicated, manslaughter, vessel homicide, and reckless operation of a vessel.
“Fernandez operated (the boat) with his normal faculties impaired, in a reckless manner, at an extremely high rate of speed, in the darkness of night, in an area with known navigational hazards,” the report said.
“Fernandez’s impairment and manner of operation caused the accident which resulted in his death and the death of his occupants,” it added.
The crash also killed Emilio Jesus Macias, 27, and Eduardo Rivero, 25.
Fernandez, a hero in Miami’s Cuban community, was a two-time Major League Baseball all-star and the 2013 National League Rookie of the Year. Fernandez was drafted in the first round by the Marlins in 2011.
