15-year-old died in crash when friend’s parents let son take boat, Florida lawsuit says

The parents of a 15-year-old who died in a Florida boat crash are now suing the parents of the teen who was driving the vessel.

Breck Moorefield has filed the lawsuit on behalf of her son, Collin Moorefield, who suffered “massive blunt force trauma” and was launched off a boat that crashed into a St. Petersburg dock in March, according to the Aug. 12 complaint.

The Moorefields are suing the family of the boy who was at the helm. That family doesn’t have an attorney listed in Pinellas County court records as of Aug. 22.

On March 3, the family facing the lawsuit was having a party at home when their 15-year-old son invited Collin Moorefield to go out on their 18-foot boat, the Key West, without any adults, according to the lawsuit.

But the Moorefield family says in the suit that the parents should have known their son was “ill-equipped, in-experienced or both” to operate the boat by himself without supervision or a lookout.

They said the parents didn’t make sure their son was sober or ensure there wasn’t alcohol on the boat, and they accused the 15-year-old of driving the boat while under the influence, according to the lawsuit.

Investigators and witnesses said they didn’t see alcohol on board after the crash, and the driver didn’t show signs of impairment, according to a report from the St. Petersburg Police Department.

There’s no age requirement to drive a boat in Florida, but someone operating a vessel with over 10 horsepower is supposed to pass a boating safety course.

That afternoon, the boys set off on the Tampa Bay waters, first dropping off another person and then continuing on, according to the suit.

The lawsuit says the teen was under the influence of alcohol and looking at his phone to change the music, rather than focusing, as he drove the boat at a top speed of about 43.5 miles per hour.

Then the boat smashed into a dock, throwing both boys into the bay, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The boat went on by itself until it eventually crashed into a sea wall, according to a police report.

Moorefield was underwater until a good Samaritan and an officer with the St. Petersburg Police Department found him, according to his family and the FWC. He was rushed to a hospital, where he died of blunt force trauma and drowning, his family said.

The other teen was also taken to a hospital, according to the FWC.

When investigators spoke with him there, he told them he was late that day and was “speeding a little,” according to a report. He said his phone got disconnected from the speaker, so he looked down to reconnect it but thought he may have knocked against the wheel of the boat, police said.

After the crash, he said he began diving into the water trying to find his friend, then others joined in the search.

The teen operating the boat had a boater safety identification card, according to the report.

“We would like to express our condolences to the Moorefield family and ask that the public give the family space during this difficult time,” said Major Evan Laskowski, the FWC’s Southwest Regional Commander, at the time of the incident. “As a father myself, I can only begin to imagine the pain they are experiencing right now. I want them to know we are thinking and praying for them during this time.”

The Moorefields are suing the other teen, who is now 16, on one count of negligence. They’re suing his parents on one count each of negligent entrustment.

The court issued a subpoena for the teen boat driver’s medical records following the incident, but his family objected, Pinellas County records show.

The investigation is ongoing.

In 2023, 59 people died in boating accidents in Florida, according to the FWC.

This story was originally published August 22, 2024 at 1:12 PM.