EXCEPTIONAL STUDENT, 24, DIES AFTER ALLEGEDLY DRUNK BOATER CRASHES INTO BOSTON PIER

BOSTON — A 24-year-old college graduate and accomplished soccer player died after a boat allegedly being operated by an intoxicated man crashed into a pier near Boston Logan International Airport.

Elizabeth “Lizzie” Dankert was aboard the vessel on May 13 when it struck the pier at about 36 mph, according to prosecutors. Two other passengers were also injured.

PROSECUTORS SAY DRIVER WAS DRINKING

Lawrence Shieh, 40, has been indicted on multiple charges, including involuntary manslaughter and operating a boat while intoxicated causing death.

Prosecutors allege Shieh had been drinking at several bars in Boston’s Seaport District before taking a Freedom Boat Club vessel without authorization.

Blood testing after the crash reportedly showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.20, more than twice Massachusetts’ legal limit of 0.08.

VIDEO CAPTURED THE FINAL MOMENTS

One of the most significant pieces of evidence is reportedly video recorded aboard the boat.

According to Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden, Shieh was allegedly dancing shortly before the collision. Investigators say that approximately six seconds before impact, footage showed him with both hands off the steering wheel.

The boat was traveling at around 36 mph, which prosecutors described as dangerously excessive for the area.

The vessel also allegedly entered an area near the airport where boats were prohibited.

LIZZIE WAS REMEMBERED AS AN EXCEPTIONAL STUDENT-ATHLETE

Dankert graduated from Union College in 2024, where she played soccer and made a strong impression on the campus community.

After graduation, she began working for a Boston software company as a Federal Aerospace and Defense Representative.

Union College spokesman Phillip Wajda described her as an “exceptional student-athlete” whose loss was deeply felt by classmates, teammates and the wider college community.

THE BOAT HAD BEEN TAKEN WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION

Freedom Boat Club said the vessel involved in the crash was taken without authorization and operated after the club had closed for the day.

The club said the boat was operated outside its knowledge and control.

That detail has become another major part of the prosecution’s case as investigators reconstruct how the group ended up on the water that night.

A CASE NOW HEADED THROUGH COURT

Shieh faces serious criminal charges stemming from the crash.

The allegations have not been proven at trial, and he is presumed innocent unless found guilty.

For Lizzie’s family, friends and former teammates, however, the legal proceedings cannot change the devastating outcome of that night.

A promising young woman who had recently launched her professional career is gone.

Now prosecutors are pointing to alcohol, speed, unauthorized use of the boat and video captured just seconds before impact as they build their case against the man accused of being at the helm.