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Charges Filed In Boat Crash That Killed 2 Near Harsens Island

HARSENS ISLAND (WWJ/AP) - Authorities have filed charges against a 32-year-old man who allegedly was drunk when he crashed his boat into another watercraft, killing two people near Harsens Island.

Brandon Verfaillie, of Chesterfield Township, is facing two counts of operating while intoxicated causing death, and one count of operating while intoxicated causing serious injury.

St. Clair County Prosecutor Mike Wendling said Verfaillie was operating a 25-foot speedboat that crashed into a cabin cruiser on the South Channel of the St. Clair River in August.

Two people on the cabin cruiser, 57-year-old Robert Koontz of Chesterfield Township and 68-year-old Nancy Axford of Winnipeg, Manitoba, were killed in the crash. Three others on the cabin cruiser were injured.

No injuries were sustained by Verfaillie or his two passengers.

Wendling said investigators had been waiting for toxicology results before authorizing a warrant for Verfaillie.

TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

 

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