The attorney for Jeffry Knight, the boat owner charged with eight felonies in the April 27 collision between his private vessel and the Clearwater Ferry, has lashed out at investigators. J. Kevin Hayslett alleges the fault was that of the ferry captain, who was operating his vessel without proper nighttime lighting.
“It’s ironic — and frankly outrageous — that Knight was vilified while the ferry was operating in complete violation of federal safety standards,” Hayslett wrote in a letter to the media Tuesday.
“This is the maritime equivalent of a school bus driving at night with no tail lights – and blaming the driver who couldn’t see it.”…