39 beer cans found on boat after drunken crash that left 10-year-old girl dead, woman without a leg: DA

A tragic incident occurred on a North Carolina lake where a boater, Quinten Kight, was charged with killing a 10-year-old girl while driving drunk. Prosecutors revealed that 39 empty beer cans were found on his boat, with seven of them being shotgunned. The incident took place on Harris Lake, located about 25 miles outside Raleigh, where Kight was operating his girlfriend’s boat while pulling tubers.

During the boating excursion, Kight struck swimmers, resulting in the death of 10-year-old Brooklyn Caroll and severe injuries to school social worker Jennifer Stehle, who lost a leg in the accident. Chatham County District Attorney Jeff Nieman disclosed the details of the case during Kight’s first court hearing, emphasizing the high number of alcohol containers found in and around the boat.

Authorities attempted to conduct a sobriety test on Kight but determined that he was unable to follow the instructions. A blood test was conducted post-incident to ascertain Kight’s blood alcohol level. Brooklyn, a fifth-grade student at West Lake Elementary School, succumbed to her injuries after her leg was severed in the crash. Stehle was airlifted to a hospital and is reported to be in stable condition.

Kight faces charges of serious injury by impaired boating, operating a boat recklessly, felony boating while impaired, and misdemeanor boating while impaired. There is a possibility that his charges may be elevated to second-degree murder. Additionally, his girlfriend, AnneMarie Flanigan, who owns the boat, was arrested for allowing him to operate the boat while under the influence.

Kight’s bond was set at $250,000, while Flanigan’s bond was set at $500,000. It was revealed that Kight had a previous conviction for driving under the influence in New Mexico in 2009 and pending charges for a hit-and-run incident in Moore County, North Carolina, from 2023. The tragic incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of operating a boat while under the influence of alcohol.