Naples, FL (March 6, 2020) - A 57-year-old man was killed after being run over by a boat while swimming near Vanderbilt Beach. The incident took place on Thursday, March 5th around 3:30 p.m.
According to reports, 75-year-old James Allen was operating a boat when he struck a swimmer. Allen then fled the scene of the collision. The swimmer, identified as Onofrio Sozio of Naples, died of his injuries. Deputies later located Allen and charged him with leaving the scene of a crash. There is no word on what led up to the incident.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is investigating. No additional details are available.
Boating is a very popular activity in Florida. With many bodies of water and warm temperatures, many boaters are out on a daily basis in our state. With the operation of a boat, there is a great responsibility to ensure that others are not at risk of being injured. A Florida boating accident certainly has the possibility to cause severe or fatal injuries and boaters must always take care and caution to ensure that they are operating their boats in a safe manner.
Our most sincere thoughts and condolences are with the family of Onofrio Sozio.
Rubenstein Law is dedicated to serving individuals & families injured by the negligence of others. We know first-hand the heartbreak that can be left behind after an accident. In our news blog, we write about cases of personal injury relevant to our line of work, and we report on news of judgments and appellate cases that affect the rights of personal injury claimants. We feel a responsibility to raise awareness of the injury and tragic loss of life occurring across our state every day.
Note: These posts are created using publicly available (secondary) sources, information has not been independently verified. If you see any information that should be corrected, please bring it to our attention and we will make adjustments. The photos depicted in these posts are not representative of the actual accident scene.
