A 45-year-old man has been charged in Wexford County on felony counts after driving his boat over a 10-year-old girl causing serious injuries from the boat’s propeller, police said.
The girl was flown to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital for medical treatment. Police said she is expected to survive.
The Manton man was arraigned in the 84th District Court in Wexford County on Monday, July 27, on charges of marine safety – operating while intoxicated causing serious injury, and operating while intoxicated/impaired – second offense, the Michigan State Police Seventh District said in a post on X.
The man was released on a personal recognizance bond and is scheduled to reappear in court at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 4.
Troopers from the Cadillac MSP Post were dispatched to West 20 Road along Hodenpyl Dam Pond near Mesick at about 7:35 p.m. on Sunday, July 26, after a boater ran over a child.
Police said the girl was tubing behind a pontoon being driven by the man when she fell off. The man turned around to pick her up, but ran her over and struck her with the boat’s propeller.
Troopers believed the driver was intoxicated and was arrested and lodged in the Wexford County jail.
Contact Sarah Moore @ smoore@lsj.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Police say drunken boater ran over 10-year-old girl. What we know
Reporting by Sarah Moore, USA TODAY NETWORK / Detroit Free Press
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By Sarah Moore, USA TODAY NETWORK | USA TODAY Network
