DRUNK BOATER WAS ALLEGEDLY DANCING WITH PASSENGERS JUST SECONDS BEFORE FATAL CRASH THAT KILLED COLLEGE SOCCER PLAYER

Newly detailed court records are revealing disturbing allegations about the moments before a Boston boating crash that claimed the life of a 24-year-old college soccer player.

Lawrence Shieh, 40, has been indicted in connection with the May 13 crash that killed Elizabeth “Lizzie” Dankert, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.

Investigators allege Shieh had been drinking heavily before taking control of a boat and was behaving erratically shortly before the collision.

But one of the most striking details in the case involves videos recovered by investigators: Shieh was allegedly seen dancing with passengers and, just seconds before the crash, had his hands off the boat’s steering wheel.

A NIGHT OF DRINKING BEFORE THE CRASH

According to the Commonwealth’s Statement of the Case obtained by PEOPLE, Shieh spent part of the evening visiting multiple bars with friends in Boston’s Seaport neighborhood.

Investigators allege that he consumed approximately seven alcoholic beverages before going to another bar alone.

There, he reportedly met Dankert and two of her friends.

Shieh allegedly offered the women a ride on a boat.

The group then went to a marina where Shieh, who belonged to a boat club, used a key to access one of the club’s vessels.

Prosecutors say the club’s rules prohibited members from operating boats at night.

Despite that restriction, investigators allege the group boarded the vessel and departed at approximately 10:30 p.m.

VIDEO CAPTURES THE MOMENTS BEFORE THE COLLISION

Investigators later recovered videos recorded aboard the boat.

According to prosecutors, the footage allegedly shows Shieh dancing with Dankert and her friends while the boat was underway.

Even more concerning, investigators say Shieh was seen with his hands off the steering wheel just seconds before the crash.

The evidence is expected to play a significant role in the prosecution’s case as authorities attempt to reconstruct what happened in the moments leading up to the collision.

BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL WAS MORE THAN TWICE THE LEGAL LIMIT

After the crash, Shieh’s blood alcohol concentration was reportedly measured at 0.20%.

Massachusetts’ legal limit for operating a boat is 0.08%.

That means the reported level was more than twice the legal limit.

Prosecutors allege that Shieh’s alcohol consumption, combined with his behavior aboard the vessel, contributed to the devastating collision.

However, the allegations will ultimately have to be tested in court.

LIZZIE DANKERT DID NOT SURVIVE

Elizabeth “Lizzie” Dankert was 24 years old and a college soccer player.

According to prosecutors, she died from blunt-force injuries sustained in the crash.

The incident also resulted in serious injuries to two other people aboard the boat.

The tragedy has left Dankert’s family and friends mourning a young woman whose life was cut short during what was supposed to be a night on the water.

SHIEH FACES MULTIPLE CHARGES

Shieh has been indicted on one count of involuntary manslaughter, one count of operating a boat while intoxicated causing death, two counts of operating a boat while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury, one count of using a boat without authority and one Logan Airport security-zone violation.

His bail was set at $25,000, with conditions that prohibit him from operating boats and consuming alcohol.

He is expected back in court on October 8.

QUESTIONS NOW CENTER ON THE FINAL SECONDS

The case is likely to focus heavily on what happened aboard the boat immediately before the collision.

Prosecutors will have to establish how Shieh’s alleged intoxication, his actions aboard the vessel and the circumstances surrounding the unauthorized nighttime trip contributed to the crash.

The recovered videos could provide prosecutors with a crucial timeline.

For the family of Lizzie Dankert, however, the legal arguments cannot change the devastating outcome.

A young college soccer player went out on a boat that night.

She never made it home.

Now, the evidence recovered from those final moments could become central to determining how the tragedy unfolded — and who should be held legally responsible.
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