SKANEATELES, N.Y. — The stepmom of an 8-year-old girl who was critically injured in a boating accident on Skaneateles Lake earlier this year appeared in Skaneateles Town Court Wednesday to pay fines for violating state boating laws.
Jamie Wheeler, 33, appeared in court Wednesday with her attorney, Rome Canzano, according to Syracuse.com.
On July 6, Wheeler was driving a 17-foot Bayliner boat when the boat's propeller struck her husband, 32-year-old Christopher Driscoll, and her stepdaughter, 8-year-old Kaelynne Driscoll.
The pair had been riding on an inner tube when the tube struck a wake, launching Driscoll and his daughter into the water. As Wheeler circled back around, the boat's propeller struck the pair, authorities said.
The injuries were severe enough that Kaelynne Driscoll had to have an arm and a leg amputated following the accident. Her father suffered non-life threatening injuries and fully recovered.
After a lengthy investigation by the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office, investigators found Wheeler to be innocent of any criminal wrongdoing, though she was later charged with a number of violations under state Navigation law, including:
– unsafe towing of a person
– no or insufficient visual distress signals
– no required ventilation for the boat
– no type IV throw able device
– littering into the water
According to the Syracuse.com report, Wheeler admitted to the tickets and agreed to pay the $400 in fines. She was not available for comment following the court hearing.
