Offshoreonly.com - FL boater convicted in DUI manslaughter

Boater pleads guilty to DUI manslaughter
By Larry Keller

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Timothy Perez denies he was at the wheel of his boat nearly four years ago when it struck another vessel, killing a Lake Worth man. But on Thursday Perez, 44, pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter, a second felony and a misdemeanor in the accident that claimed the life of Douglas Caramagna, 32, in August 2002.

Perez was sentenced to five years in prison, followed by 10 years of probation. The father of two starts his sentence on Sept. 1. If he doesn't turn himself at 8:30 that day, the sentence becomes 20 years in prison.

"I wish I could go back in time, but I can't," Perez said afterward. "The trail of destruction — I hope the healing can start here."

Perez and another man, Darren Bigbee, 39, were bar-hopping at restaurants on the Intracoastal Waterway on Perez's 28-foot powerboat, Reel Dysfunctional, the night of Aug. 31, 2002, authorities said. Both men were naked at times and playing music loudly aboard the vessel, Assistant State Attorney Ellen Roberts said.

About 11:18 p.m., Perez's boat was speeding through a no-wake zone near Bert Winters Park when it slammed into Caramagna's 23-foot boat, killing him and injuring his fiancee. Perez suffered a hip injury in the collision. Bigbee was injured too, but fled.

Evidence showed that Perez has a blood alcohol level of .17 — more than twice the legal limit — at the time of the crash, Roberts said.
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This guy was a stockbroker with a nice Contender. The original story was he met a stranger at a bar and let the stranger pilot the boat then got into a wreck. This is right in the ICW, has a 600 ft no wake zone then 30 MPH on both sides.